Chamber
Meeting of the Parliament 29 September 2010
29 Sep 2010 · S3 · Meeting of the Parliament
Item of business
See Me Campaign
I, too, congratulate Jackie Baillie on securing tonight’s debate. I also thank members of all parties who signed my motion on mental health awareness week, which runs next week.
As Jackie Baillie said, one in four people in Scotland will experience some form of mental health problem. More than 30 per cent of GP visits in Scotland are for mental health issues. We must discuss mental health: we must discuss the causes, how it affects the patient, how to deal with it, and how it affects families and friends. We all could do with a bit more advice on how to talk to people about their depression or other mental health problems and the effect that mental health issues have on employment. We all have to be bolder in that respect.
The see me campaign, which aims to end the stigma and discrimination that is associated with mental health, deserves every accolade that it has been awarded and more. While everyone accepts that work is still to be done, the difference that see me has made since it was launched in 2002 is significant. The results from this year’s hear me 2 survey showed that 61 per cent of people who have experienced mental health problems now feel more able to be more open about their illness than they were five years ago. Also, when social attitudes in Scotland towards mental health are compared with those of the UK as a whole, it is obvious that the plaudits that this campaign has attracted are well deserved. A recent YouGov survey showed that, on a UK basis, employers rejected someone with a mental illness in 33 per cent of cases whereas, in Scotland, the rejection rate was 24 per cent. We can all agree that the figure is still too high, but the difference is clear.
There is still some way to go before we eradicate the stigma, but it is clear that attitudes to mental health issues in Scotland are changing. When people talk about mental health, they tend always to talk about schizophrenia and yet the majority of people with mental health issues suffer from stress, anxiety, low mood and depression. As Anne McLaughlin said, people can suffer in that way at times of bereavement and so forth. Mental health issues are a normal part of everyday life and yet many people do not discuss the issues. People not only feel the stigma but believe that their career opportunities may be jeopardised if they should say that they are depressed.
Jackie Baillie mentioned the NHS 24 cognitive behavioural therapy pilot that delivers telephone support to people in their own home to help them self-manage their condition, understand the triggers that bring them down and provide coping mechanisms to get them back up again. I have seen an interim report on the pilot and am sure that with earlier diagnosis, referral and early intervention the figure can be improved greatly. After all, the treatment is being delivered in the wholly unstigmatised manner and setting of a person’s home and not in what is often perceived as an institutional setting.
I am in no doubt that 99.9 per cent of those who work in the health service exhibit no stigma towards patients with mental health issues. That said, I cannot ignore the fact that attitudes in the health service to mental health have been raised with us in the past. People feel that NHS staff could be more compassionate and understanding of mental health issues.
It is right that we should praise the work that is being done to reduce the stigma that is associated with mental illness, but we all have to look at how we can improve things further. This is not only about see me and patients with mental health illnesses, it is an issue for everyone. We all—family members, work colleagues and friends—have a role to play. The stigma will finally be lost only when we all understand the complexities of mental health issues and how widespread they are. I am pleased to contribute to the debate.
17:24
As Jackie Baillie said, one in four people in Scotland will experience some form of mental health problem. More than 30 per cent of GP visits in Scotland are for mental health issues. We must discuss mental health: we must discuss the causes, how it affects the patient, how to deal with it, and how it affects families and friends. We all could do with a bit more advice on how to talk to people about their depression or other mental health problems and the effect that mental health issues have on employment. We all have to be bolder in that respect.
The see me campaign, which aims to end the stigma and discrimination that is associated with mental health, deserves every accolade that it has been awarded and more. While everyone accepts that work is still to be done, the difference that see me has made since it was launched in 2002 is significant. The results from this year’s hear me 2 survey showed that 61 per cent of people who have experienced mental health problems now feel more able to be more open about their illness than they were five years ago. Also, when social attitudes in Scotland towards mental health are compared with those of the UK as a whole, it is obvious that the plaudits that this campaign has attracted are well deserved. A recent YouGov survey showed that, on a UK basis, employers rejected someone with a mental illness in 33 per cent of cases whereas, in Scotland, the rejection rate was 24 per cent. We can all agree that the figure is still too high, but the difference is clear.
There is still some way to go before we eradicate the stigma, but it is clear that attitudes to mental health issues in Scotland are changing. When people talk about mental health, they tend always to talk about schizophrenia and yet the majority of people with mental health issues suffer from stress, anxiety, low mood and depression. As Anne McLaughlin said, people can suffer in that way at times of bereavement and so forth. Mental health issues are a normal part of everyday life and yet many people do not discuss the issues. People not only feel the stigma but believe that their career opportunities may be jeopardised if they should say that they are depressed.
Jackie Baillie mentioned the NHS 24 cognitive behavioural therapy pilot that delivers telephone support to people in their own home to help them self-manage their condition, understand the triggers that bring them down and provide coping mechanisms to get them back up again. I have seen an interim report on the pilot and am sure that with earlier diagnosis, referral and early intervention the figure can be improved greatly. After all, the treatment is being delivered in the wholly unstigmatised manner and setting of a person’s home and not in what is often perceived as an institutional setting.
I am in no doubt that 99.9 per cent of those who work in the health service exhibit no stigma towards patients with mental health issues. That said, I cannot ignore the fact that attitudes in the health service to mental health have been raised with us in the past. People feel that NHS staff could be more compassionate and understanding of mental health issues.
It is right that we should praise the work that is being done to reduce the stigma that is associated with mental illness, but we all have to look at how we can improve things further. This is not only about see me and patients with mental health illnesses, it is an issue for everyone. We all—family members, work colleagues and friends—have a role to play. The stigma will finally be lost only when we all understand the complexities of mental health issues and how widespread they are. I am pleased to contribute to the debate.
17:24
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Trish Godman)
Lab
The final item of business is a members’ business debate on motion S3M-6705, in the name of Jackie Baillie, on the see me campaign. The debate will be conclu...
Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab)
Lab
I am grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness of the see me campaign, which is Scotland’s national programme aimed at ending the stigma and discrimina...
The Deputy Presiding Officer
Lab
We move to the debate. Speeches should be four minutes. I call Anne McLaughlin, to be followed by Marlyn Glen.17:10
Anne McLaughlin (Glasgow) (SNP)
SNP
I congratulate Jackie Baillie on beating me to it and securing this debate. I will speak very quickly, because I thought I had six minutes.When I was elected...
Marlyn Glen (North East Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
I add my thanks to Jackie Baillie for securing the debate to recognise that the see me campaign has made a significant contribution to tackling the stigma an...
Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con)
Con
I, too, congratulate Jackie Baillie on securing tonight’s debate. I also thank members of all parties who signed my motion on mental health awareness week, w...
Hugh Henry (Paisley South) (Lab)
Lab
Jackie Baillie is to be commended for allowing the Parliament the opportunity to put on record our support for the see me campaign and to raise some of our w...
Malcolm Chisholm (Edinburgh North and Leith) (Lab)
Lab
I, too, congratulate Jackie Baillie on bringing this important debate to the Parliament. Even more, I congratulate the see me campaign on all its work during...
The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing (Nicola Sturgeon)
SNP
I thank Jackie Baillie for securing the debate, which has been extremely important. There have been some very good speeches, and like other members I single ...
Liam McArthur (Orkney) (LD)
LD
Like other members, I acknowledge the moving and human speech from Anne McLaughlin.On local campaigns, I attended a see me pledge-signing ceremony in Orkney ...
Nicola Sturgeon
SNP
I will come on to talk about see me in the wider picture, but I will respond quickly to that question. Historically, the public sector’s role has not been wh...