Scotland’s mental health emergency demands urgent action the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland said today, after the latest Scottish Health Survey was published.
The statement comes after new figures from the Scottish Health Survey 2024 revealed that around one in four people in Scotland are experiencing a mental health problem in any given year.
Psychiatrists say the situation is now critical as the mortality gap for people with severe mental illness (SMI) remains start with a life expectancy 15 to 20 years lower than the general population – with around two-thirds of these deaths being from preventable causes.
Now the College is urging the Scottish Government to make mental health a top priority in the next Budget and in the next Parliament and sets out five key actions in its manifesto including:
- cut the mortality gap between people with SMI and the general population
- invest properly in services and workforce planning, including dedicated funding for mental health
- create a national neurodiversity pathway to ensure timely support
- show leadership by declaring a public-health emergency in mental health
- put prevention first by embedding mental health in all policy and spending decisions.
Dr Jane Morris, Chair of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland, said:
“Scotland is in the midst of a mental health emergency – and these new figures confirm things aren’t getting any better.
“Behind every statistic are people whose lives are being cut short by preventable causes. The mortality gap in Scotland is stark. People with severe mental illness have a life expectancy of 15 to 20 years less than those without.
“We’re urging the Scottish Government to make mental health a top priority in the next Budget and the next Parliament and that is why our new manifesto sets out five key actions including - cutting the mortality gap, investing properly in services and workforce planning.
“We’d also like to see the creation of a new neurodiversity pathway and are urging ministers to show leadership and put prevention first.
“A clear commitment is needed. We need urgent, sustained action now because the mental health needs of Scots cannot wait.”
For further information, please contact:
- Email: laura.varney@rcpsych.ac.uk
- Contact Name: Laura Varney, Senior Media Officer (Devolved Nations)