Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland Consultation
A National Action Plan is expected in August 2008 with an expected large focus on Early Years and Prevention.
NHS Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire Council and South Lanarkshire Council are working together to help Lanarkshire "mentally flourish". Together they held an event at Airdrie Football Stadium on Monday 4 February 2008 to discuss mental health improvement in Lanarkshire which was attended by 170 users, carers and other stakeholders.
NHS Lanarkshire’s Colin Sloey, Director of Community Health Partnership North, who chairs the Lanarkshire Mental Health Programme Board, said: “Mental Health and well-being is not just about mental illness. It’s about how confident we feel, how we cope with life’s difficulties, and our level of happiness and contentment. Because mental health and well-being is all about how we think, feel and behave, it’s an important issue which impacts on everyone.” This level of importance is reflected in the Scottish Government’s discussion paper ‘Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland’, which sets out the future of mental health improvement in Scotland.
NHS Lanarkshire and the two councils are seeking views over the coming weeks and months about proposals in the document. This includes seeking the views of a wide range of stakeholders before providing a response to the paper from a Lanarkshire perspective. The discussion document is focussed on promoting well-being, preventing mental illness and support improvements in the quality of life, social inclusion, and recovery of people who experience mental health problems or mental illness.
The event at Airdrie football stadium was part of this process. Attendees included stakeholders from a wide range of backgrounds including health promotion, public health, health and social care services, education, lifelong learning, employment, training and skills, regeneration, criminal justice, environment, business, culture and arts, service users and carers, members of the public, public sector agencies, the voluntary sector and the business community.
There were presentations from a number of national experts including Professor Phil Hanlon from University of Glasgow and Glasgow Centre of Population Health, Mr Gregor Henderson, Director of the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Well-being and Andy Milne, Chief Executive of the Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum.
NHS Lanarkshire’s Colin Sloey, Director of Community Health Partnership North, chairs the Lanarkshire Mental Health Programme Board. He said: “We are working towards a Lanarkshire where everyone appreciates that there is no health without mental health, where we know how to support and improve our own mental health and well-being and that of others. Many people are already flourishing in Lanarkshire supported by strong communities. However not everyone shares the same opportunities. Those who are subject to discrimination or abuse, or those who live with deprivation are at much greater risk of poor mental health than others. We need to put this right. By improving mental health and well-being it contributes to a healthier, wealthier, fairer, smarter and safer Lanarkshire for all.”
This consultation period builds on much good work already underway. The resultant action plan will give increased priority and greater co-ordinated action with a focused on creating the opportunities and conditions for Lanarkshire to flourish.
March 2008
Click here to see Lanarkshire's response "Towards a Mentally Flourishing Lanarkshire"