Mental health awareness is topic central to my role
From May 13 to May 19, we marked Mental Health Awareness Week.
As a mental health nurse for over 30 years and now as Scotland’s Minister for mental health, it is a topic which is central to my daily life. However I fully appreciate that for many, this is not always the case.
Mental Health Awareness Week reminds us that it is good to talk when we are feeling down, and that there is help out there should we need it.
Across the UK, it is estimated that every year one in four people experience a mental health problem.
However, as a society, we are still not great about being open about such issues. Due to stigma, many people don’t believe our mental health is as important as our physical health – however, it most certainly is.
The theme of this year’s awareness week was ‘Body Image.’ Our appearance is increasingly being recognised as a factor that can negatively affect people’s self-esteem and mental health.
For Mental Health Awareness Week, the Mental Health Foundation published a study of how people feel about their bodies, and how they feel their body image affects their lives and wellbeing.
The research found that nearly half of 18-24 year olds felt worried about images on social media and more than one in seven adults reported experiencing suicidal thoughts or feelings because of concerns about body image.
Social media can be a force of good, however these statistics are alarming.
This week, as Minister for Mental Health, I announced that the Scottish Government has established a new advisory group on ‘Healthy Body Image’ to examine the link between body image and mental health. The creation of the group builds on a package of measures I have already introduced to improve young people’s mental health – which I launched last month in my old school, Trinity High.
I have taken a number of other steps this year to improve our mental health services.
During another of my visits during Mental Health Awareness week, I had the opportunity to speak at the Scottish Football Association’s Conference at Hampden Park for the launch of their Breathing Space campaign. The partnership between the SFA and Breathing Space is very encouraging as sport can play two major roles when it comes to our mental health. By undertaking sport and physical activity it can benefit our mental wellbeing, and its platform can be used positively to reach out and help those suffering.
As Minister for Mental Health, I am incredibly grateful for the work of health professionals, public bodies, the private sector, and our volunteers who are absolutely devoted to improving our mental wellbeing and mental health services.
Whether on Mental Health Awareness Week or not, it is clear that mental health is now a national priority for many of us – and I am very privileged to be involved in driving these improvements.