Meeting of the Parliament (Hybrid) 17 February 2021
This has been an excellent debate, albeit too brief, with thoughtful and well-argued contributions from across the political divide. I, too, congratulate Alex Cole-Hamilton and the Liberal Democrats on their initiative in securing this afternoon’s debate.
Many speakers, including Mary Fee and Pauline McNeill, referenced the pandemic and said that the measures that have been necessary to keep it under control have had significant impacts on Scotland’s mental health, with many people experiencing and reporting loneliness, isolation and worsening mental health.
Of course, as many speakers have testified, Scotland was already experiencing a mental health crisis prior to Covid-19. Too many people were burdened with acute emotional trauma and the perceived stigma of mental health issues and were failing to access the help and support that they needed.
It is important not to underestimate the stigma effect on individuals, their families and their friends. I remember a health education poster that I had on my office wall as a young front-line social worker in the early 1980s—I was young once, Presiding Officer. It said, “Six months after Alice had her nervous breakdown, her friends are stilI recovering”.
Our amendment seeks to add to the motion:
“notes with deep concern the further increase in the number of deaths by suicide in 2019”.
The ISD Scotland report in 2016 said that the suicide rate appeared to be higher in Scotland than in England and Wales. It noted that suicide was three times more likely among those in the most deprived areas than among those in the least deprived areas, that three quarters of those who died were men and that nearly 50 per cent were under 54.
Labour has questioned the effectiveness of the Scottish Government’s action plan. Mary Fee said that, if there is to be transformational change, now is the time to be serious about it and rebuild mental health services to enable us to deal with the pandemic. Alex Cole-Hamilton, in a passionate speech, said that the mental health statistics are shocking and that he is deeply concerned. He said that we need local direction with an expansion of the mental health workforce, noting that those with mental health issues are facing the longest queue in the NHS.
The minister spoke about the new and significant challenges across Scotland and said that now is a time of national trauma. Donald Cameron and Alison Johnstone made similar points, saying that we are facing a mental health crisis and expressing their concern about the number of recorded suicides going up.
I will conclude, because I know that time is tight. I agree with Inclusion Scotland that Covid has pushed people to the brink, and particularly those with disabilities and pre-existing mental health issues. Those with a disability who are digitally excluded face a double whammy of disadvantage.
As the battle against Covid-19 seems to be succeeding, which is of course good news, we face conflict on a new front—a mental health pandemic. The curse of loneliness, isolation and despair, mixed with the ever-present stigma of seeking help, is a crucial dilemma. As Michelle Obama said,
“At the root of this dilemma is the way we view mental health in this country ... Whether an illness affects your heart, your leg or your brain, it’s still an illness, and there should be no distinction.”
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