‘People need to talk about mental health’

FIFERS have been urged to come together and get talking openly about mental health.

The call by Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth follows the Mental Health Foundation’s publication, Stress – Are We Coping? that shows two-thirds of Scots will experience a mental health problem at some stage in their lives, much of it related to stress.

Ms Gilruth said: “Everyone has mental health which, like physical wellbeing, can vary as part of our day-to-day lives.

“We need to be prepared to talk about such issues so we can support more people through tough periods.

“There has been a huge amount of good work done in Scotland to raise awareness of mental illness, reduce stigma and challenge mental healthrelated discrimination.

“We all have a duty to continue these positive steps by discussing how we are feeling with others.

“Whether we are talking about our good mental health, our bad mental health or everything in between, we’re all people and we all need to get talking about it.”

The Scottish Government has set up a youth commission on mental health services with the help of Young Scot and the Scottish Association for Mental Health.

Young people will do a study to help reshape support.

Over the next five years the government will spend £150 million on tackling mental health problems.