This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Four Nations debate on mental health
26/10/2004
New approaches to the promotion of good mental health
and the prevention and tackling of mental health problems
will be shared today as 140 experts from the UK and Ireland
gather, for the first time ever, at a conference in
Edinburgh.
The Executive has invited mental health and public
health professionals to share good practice and showcase
the contribution public health makes to improving mental
wellbeing across the UK.
Research to be presented at the two-day conference will
demonstrate the links between poor mental health and
poverty, low educational attainment, unemployment, poor
quality housing, racism and community safety.
Deputy Health and Community Care Minister Rhona
Brankin formally opened the conference last night.
She said:
"Poor mental health affects around one in five Scots and
nearly two-thirds of us know someone who has experienced a
mental health problem.
"Tackling mental ill health is as much about improving
people's quality of life as it is about promoting good
mental wellbeing and providing services and support.
"Through our national programme we are investing #24
million to promote good mental health, help prevent mental
ill health and suicide, break down stigma and support
recovery from mental health problems.
"Indeed all our work to close the opportunity gap, such
as our drive to eradicate poverty, improve the quality of
Scotland's housing, regenerate communities, tackle crime,
anti-social and racist behaviour and improve people's
access to further education and work has a bearing on
people's mental health wellbeing.
"Today's conference is an important reminder to us all
that we must not be complacent. It presents a real
opportunity to explore further how best to achieve good
mental health in our schools, colleges, universities,
workplaces and communities."
New research to be presented at the conference will show
that:
- addressing mental health has positive benefits on
people's physical health and in tackling obesity and
substance misuse
- promoting good mental health in schools can lead to
improvements in children's educational attainment and
reduces the risk of anti-social behaviour
- workplace morale improves when mental health
promotion becomes part of the working culture
- access to exercise, sport and the arts improves
people's mental health and helps those recovering from
mental illness
The conference will help to identify further action that
needs to take place, not just in Scotland but across the
UK.
The findings of the conference will be published in a
special edition of the Journal of Mental Health Promotion
early in 2005.
Dr Lynne Friedli, chair of the conference and Jounral
editor, said:
"Scotland is recognised as leading the way in the UK in
addressing the public mental health challenge. The mental,
emotional and psychological health of the population is the
oxygen that fuels social and economic growth.
"How people feel underpins every aspect of their health
and well-being and their prosperity and quality of
life."
Notes to News Editors
The Four Nations Conference
Public Mental Health: the art, science and politics
of creating a mentally healthy society is
sponsored by the Executive and supported by the Mental
Health Foundation, the Scottish Development Centre for
Mental Health, NHS Health Scotland, the Journal of Mental
Health Promotion and Mental Health Today.
The conference begins at 6pm on Tuesday October 26 and
continues from 9am until 5pm on Wednesday October 27 at the
Carton Highland Hotel, Edinburgh.
Speakers include Phil Chick, Director of Mental Health,
Welsh Assembly, Alan Ferguson, Chief Executive of the
Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health, Dr Margaret
Barry, University of Galway, Jenny Bywaters, Director of
Public Health and Professional Liaison at the National
Institution for Mental Health in England, Gregor Henderson,
Director of the Executive's National Programme for
Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing and Professor Peter
Donnelly, Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish
Executive.
Mental health problems currently cost the UK economy an
estimated £93 billion every year (source: Mental Health
Foundation).
The number of prescriptions for anti-depressants has
trebled in Scotland over the last ten years, costing around
£60 million a year.
Around 30 per cent of all GP consultations involve a
mental health issue.
The Executive is investing £24 million (2003-2006) to
support the work of the National Programme for Improving
Mental Health and Wellbeing.
The four aims of this work are to raise public awareness
and understanding of mental health and illness, eliminate
the stigma and discrimination that people with mental
health problems are still subjected to, prevent suicide and
help people cope with the aftermath of suicide and promote
and support people's recovery from mental illness.