Guest editorial
| Published date | 01 March 2005 |
| Pages | 5-6 |
| Date | 01 March 2005 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/17465729200500002 |
| Author | Gregor Henderson |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
Guest editorial
Gregor Henderson
Director
National Programme for
Improving Mental Health
and Well-being
Scottish Executive
gregor.henderson@
scotland.gsi.gov.uk
GUEST
EDITORIAL
5
The Four Nations debate on public mental
health in Edinburgh last year, hosted by
the Scottish Executive and opened by
Rhona Brankin, our deputy minister for
health and community care, was important
for all the reasons given by delegates in their evaluation
of the event: the quality of the debate, the contributions
from a wide range of different disciplines, getting a first-
hand account of what’s happening across the UK
and Ireland, and the rare opportunity it provided to
give public mental health a strong profile. From a
Scottish perspective, it was also an opportunity to hear
how the work of Scotland’sNational Programme
(www.wellontheweb.net) is viewed by others: an
informal peer review.
The positive response from colleagues, both at the
debate and more recently at the WHO ministerial
conference in Helsinki (www.euro.who.int/
eprise/main/WHO/Progs/MNHCONF/press/20050114_
1) is an important validation of an enormous amount of
hard work and commitment from many different
individuals and organisations across Scotland. Mental
health improvement has struggled to achieve
recognition in the past, so celebrating successes is a
crucial part of increasing visibility and influence. There
is an ongoing debate about levels of confidence in
Scotland and our attitude to success, in ourselves and
others, so these issues have a special resonance
(www.centreforconfidence.co.uk; Craig, 2003).
The main priorities for the National Programme for
the remaining 18 months of the first phase of work are
to continue to support the implementation of the aims
and objectives set out in the action plan for 2003-2006
(Henderson et al,2002; Scottish Executive, 2004). But
we also need further effort to gain greater understanding,
commitment and action in other public policy areas.
The key target areas are employment and working life
and improving the mental health and well-being of
children and young people.
We’re making good progress on a lot of different
fronts (Scottish Executive, 2004). Although the results
of public attitudes surveys need to be interpreted with
caution (Smith, 2004), the second national Scottish
survey is encouraging (Scottish Executive, 2005) and
points to the high visibility and impact of ‘see me’
(www.seemescotland.org).1
But the momentum needs to be maintained if
sustainable change is to be achieved over the longer
term. A further two years investment is planned for
2006-2008 (subject to Spending Review 04 outcomes),
with a continuation of health improvement funding for
mental health of £9 million per year. Over half of this is
transferred to local areas to support continuing local
efforts. A crucial feature of how we’ve delivered the
agenda in Scotland has been to fund a number of linked
initiatives (for example, ‘see me’, Choose Life,
Breathing Space, Scottish Mental Health First Aid, the
Scottish Recovery Network, HeadsUpScotland), and a
range of ‘delivery support agencies’. The National
Programme and the national advisory group provide
strategic leadership and a framework of aims and
objectives, but implementation is the responsibility of a
very diverse range of national and local agencies across
all sectors and disciplines.
The ability to influence other policy areas is key to
achieving the aims and objectives of the mental health
improvement and public mental health agenda. The
National Programme agenda is cross-cutting across a
broad range of Scottish Executive departments and
policy portfolios.
Mental health improvement links to the Scottish
Executive’sPartnership Agreement commitments on:
lgrowing Scotland’s economy by working to support
people with mental health problems into the labour
market (employability), increasing job retention for
people with mental health problems, and addressing
mental health in the workplace (workability)
ldelivering excellent public services by building
capacity and equipping people in public services to
have a greater awareness of mental health and
mental illness
lsupporting stronger, safer communities by
contributing to improved community mental health
and well-being, social capital and social inclusion,
as well as supporting the role of arts, culture and
sport in improving mental health and well-being
ldeveloping a more confident Scotland through
raising the self-esteem, confidence and resilience
of children and young people, and by supporting
more general work on promoting confidence and
well-being
journal of public mental health
vol 4 • issue 1
©Pavilion Publishing (Brighton) Ltd
1The survey underpins ‘see me’s’ new tv ad on Channel 4 and MTV, which highlights the prevalence of mental health problems among Scotland’s young
people and how the behaviour of other young people can make things worse. The cartoon ad is the first of its kind in the UK to tackle issues of self-
harm, alienation, depression and anorexia in young people 12-18 (www.justlikeme.org.uk).
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