Action on mental health

This year is Scotland’s Year of Young People and recent research has revealed that an alarming number of LGBTI+ young people in Scotland’s schools have experienced poor mental health.

The research by Stonewall Scotland in 2017 outlined that 58 per cent of lesbian, gay or bisexual pupils and 96 per cent of trans pupils have deliberately harmed themselves.

It is important that politicians, public servants and public bodies help to raise the profile of mental health and that is why I lodged the motion to the Scottish Parliament to recognise World Mental Health Day.

In order to break the stigma around mental health we must widen the conversation and deepen our knowledge and understanding of the range of mental health issues that people may experience throughout their lives. I am unequivocal in my belief that mental health should be treated with the same priority as physical health.

However, it is clear that the Scottish Government is failing on mental health. Waiting times are increasing and children and adolescents are experiencing long delays when they reach out and attempt to access the appropriate support services.

It is a scandal that nearly one-third of young people are waiting longer than 18 weeks for vital mental health treatment.

The recent research has shown that poor mental health is a growing problem for children and adolescents, particularly for LGBT children and young people.

Urgent action needs to be taken to prevent young LGBT people from increasing mental health problems.