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Plenary, 14 Nov 2001

14 Nov 2001 · S1 · Plenary

Item of business

Mental Health Law

Jamieson, Margaret Lab Kilmarnock and Loudoun Watch on SPTV

Many members will be aware that, over many years in my previous employment, I gained much experience of mental health services in Scotland, particularly in the west of Scotland. That included experience of the many Victorian institutions that are now closed. I have seen at first hand the failure of the current legislation to meet the needs and aspirations of service users. I agree that there is a crying need for effective new mental health legislation that will address the needs of today's service users, their families and society.

The response of the public to mental illness is dramatically different from their response to physical illness. That has been shown by the many sick jokes about mentally ill people that have often disfigured conversations and even comedians' performances over many years.

Presiding Officer, I am sure that if you walked down the Mound with a large stookie on your leg, you would attract a great deal of sympathy from passers by. However, if, God forbid, you had a car accident that led to head trauma and left you exhibiting what is often called challenging behaviour, the reaction would be very different.

The response of previous generations has been to drive mental illness into the shade. We in the chamber all accept that that response is no longer acceptable. It is difficult for anyone to admit to having or having had mental illness, which can come in many forms. It is even difficult for families to admit that a family member is a sufferer.

As a society, we must address our response to mental health. We must begin to treat it as we would treat a physical illness. We must care for and acknowledge those who suffer from this illness and ensure that their many skills are not lost to our society by shutting them away from their communities. That is easy to say and if our society was one unit we could deal with the matter easily and quickly. However, Scotland is made up of more than 5 million individuals, who all have their own experiences, links and attitudes. We have come together as a society, but we need to give individuals information that will reform their attitudes and make our society more caring towards mental illness.

This is a society issue. On mental illness, we are still faced with the battle for the hearts and minds of the Scottish people. We can legislate as much as we want on the structures of caring for the mentally ill, but if we do not accompany that with a massive education process to change people's attitudes to such illnesses we will have failed those who will suffer in silence and in the background. Such education campaigns work. We need only remember the attitudes towards drinking and driving before the introduction of campaigns on that issue to recognise the value of such campaigns.

Therefore I look forward to hearing the minister's comments about the Executive proposals on that issue when he responds to the debate. Now as never before, we have an opportunity to change the Scottish perception of mental health. We must grasp that opportunity with both hands and take the next major step towards making the new Scotland an even more caring society for all those sufferers of mental health problems.

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Plenary, 14 Nov 2001

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