MSP raises school’s concerns

Angus North and Mearns MSP Mairi Gougeon has urged young people to keep on speaking out to help stamp out the stigma surrounding poor mental health.

Mrs Gougeon also raised young people’s mental health concerns at the Scottish Parliament after she was contacted by pupils at Mackie Academy in Stonehaven asking how schools can be better supported to deal with it.

The SNP member spoke out at the end of Mental Health Awareness Week as See Me Scotland launched a national survey of young people’s experiences of the illness. The survey comes after new statistics released by Glasgow University, based on a survey of 3,508 people aged 18-34, showed that one in nine young adults in Scotland have attempted suicide and one in six have reported self-harming.

She questioned Mental Health Minister Maureen Watt over greater support in schools – such as on-site counsellors and community psychiatric nurses – on behalf of the Mackie students.

Mrs Gougeon said: “These statistics over suicide attempts and self-harming among young adults are extremely alarming.

“We must do all we can to change this. There are numerous pressures on young people as they grow up, through school, college, university, home, in trying to find work and coping with stressful jobs.”

She said the See Me Scotland campaign was “so important”.