Year of Young People offers the chance to shape Scots mental health services

A youth commission is being recruited to look at ways to improve services throughout the country

Young people are set to work with the Scottish Government to shape mental health services in Scotland, as recruitment begins for a new Youth Commission.

Up to 20 young people, aged from 14 to 22 from across Scotland, are being recruited to develop recommendations on how child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) should be provided for young people and what mental health services can and should look like in the future.

Their findings and ideas will be shared with the Scottish Government to shape future mental health service delivery, policy and strategy.

Applications will close on 9 February. Potential applicants should visit young.scot/get-involved for more information.

The Commission will take place during the Year of Young People 2018, which is intended to provide a platform for young people’s voices to be heard and acted upon.

Maureen Watt, Minister for Mental Health, said: “Often people develop long term mental ill health in their childhood or young adulthood, so it is very important that we identify the problem and tackle it as early as possible.

“Prevention and early intervention is a key part of how we approach mental health in Scotland and I want to encourage any young person with views or experience on this to seriously consider applying for the commission. We want to improve services and, vitally, strip away any stigma in experiencing mental ill health and seeking help.

“We want people to recognise that they need to care for their mental health as they would their physical health and I think the work done by the Youth Commission in Mental Health will be one of the most important legacies of the Year of Young People in 2018.”

Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH, said: “Half of all mental health problems in adulthood start by mid-teens, so it’s crucial we place young people at the heart of finding solutions..”

Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Scot, added: “Young people across Scotland are passionate about mental health issues and the Year of Young People 2018 to provides a great platform to look at the topic of mental health.”

0 Louise Macdonald of Young Scot