Developing an integrated strategy: the Lothian experience
| Published date | 01 December 2004 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200400022 |
| Date | 01 December 2004 |
| Pages | 6-8 |
| Author | Sheena Lowrie |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
journal of mental health promotion •volume 3•issue 4 •december 2004 © Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
Developing an integrated strategy: the
Lothian experience
Sheena Lowrie
Senior mental health promotion specialist
Lothian NHS Board
Guest
editorial
Lothian NHS Board is the second largest health board
in Scotland. It serves a total population of 780,000 in a
mix of urban and rural areas covered by three NHS
Lothian divisions and four local authorities. It is with
these partners that our joint strategy has been
developed, along with service users, voluntary
organisations and carers.
The integration of mental health improvement into
Lothian’s joint strategy for mental health and well-
being mirrors activity at a national level. At a local
level, a key driver to this integrated approach is that, as
amental health promotion specialist, I am part of the
mental health programme team, and mental health
promotion is an integral partof strategic development
from the initial stages, not an afterthought.
Mental health in context
‘Positive mental health and well-being is important within
the whole Scottish Executive agenda and will require work
across the full spectrum of the health sector, education,
social justice, employment, criminal justice agencies, health
at work and local communities. This way we can better
respond to reducing those factors that are a risk to good
mental health such as poverty, poor housing or lack of
employment or educational opportunities and seek to
increase and sustain those factors that are protective of good
mental health.’
(Chisholm, 2002)
This statement, by Scotland’s then minister for health
and community care Malcolm Chisholm, reflects the
starting point for mental health improvement in
Lothian and highlights that mental health is
everybody’s business.
Scottish mental health policy brings together all the
different facets of mental health: promotion,
prevention, service delivery and redesign, and the new
Mental Health (Care and Treatment (Scotland)) Act
2003. This national approach is reflected in Lothian in
the board’s commitment to integrating mental health
promotion in a strategy that similarly covers
promotion, prevention, care and treatment.
Nationally, the Scottish Executive’s National
Programme for Improving Mental Health and
Wellbeing has been important in establishing a higher
profile for mental health promotion and an expectation
that health boards will deliver local initiatives for
mental health improvement.
In Lothian we have adopted two approaches to
mental health promotion: public mental health, which
takes a population-wide approach to understanding
and addressing risk and protective factors, and social
inclusion and social justice, which recognises that
mental health problems areboth a cause and a
consequence of social exclusion. Reducing barriers to
education, employment and leisure for people with
mental health problems is a key component of
Lothian’s joint mental health strategy.
The inclusion of mental health improvement in our
joint strategy indicates a move away from the
traditional silo approach wherepromotion, prevention,
treatment and care were discrete areas of work.
Instead, this approach recognises the inter-
connectedness and co-dependency of each, and the
synergy that can be generated.
Local strategy development
NHS Lothian, local authorities and key partners have
been undertaking a review of Lothian’s strategy for
mental health and well-being. The strategic reviewis
taking place at a time of great legislative and systemic
change. The introduction of the new Mental Health
(Care and Treatment (Scotland)) Act 2003, following
on from the implementation of the Adults with
Incapacity (Scotland) Act 2000 and the Local
Government in Scotland Act 2003, will result in major
change, not only for service providers. The fusion of
major legislativechange, along with significant policy
6
To continue reading
Request your trial