Hansard

Mental illness is one of our time’s most prevalent conditions. Its economic, social and personal impacts can be, and often are, devastating. Across Europe, mental illness is one of the top public health challenges, with depression alone responsible for more than 13 per cent of the disability burden, making it the leading chronic condition. That is a staggering statistic.

As austerity bites, unemployment and underemployment rise, people’s living standards are squeezed and, as national and local public services are cut, we see mental ill health rise and the services needed to support people cut.

We know that mental illness does not respect status, power or wealth and that it can affect anyone, but it is no surprise that communities that suffer high levels of unemployment and poverty are more likely to see higher rates of mental ill health. According to NHS Scotland, women, black and minority ethnic groups, refugees, sex workers, people living with disabilities, addictions or chronic illnesses, homeless people and older people living on reduced incomes are those at greatest risk. Health inequality is Scotland’s greatest shame and the inequality is starkly laid before us when we look at mental illness and its impact on a person’s overall wellbeing.

Major life events are often at the root of mental illness, and bereavement, job loss, retirement, relationship breakdown and abuse of one kind or another can all contribute to a mental health condition. The reality is that many people go untreated for very long periods and half of them do not seek or get help. Estimates suggest that almost one in five of us will experience, for example, depression at some point in our lives. That means more than 1 million people living in Scotland will experience varying symptoms of the condition, yet more than half—500,000 people—will not receive any help or support.

Across the age range, access to mental health services is a growing concern. The Government’s mental health strategy makes it clear that, as the minister mentioned, access to psychological therapies for children and access to adolescent mental health services is vital. The aim is that, by March 2014, someone will be seen in 26 weeks, falling to 18 weeks by December 2014. However, Jim Hume’s motion states that more than 700 young people have waited beyond 26 weeks. That is clearly unacceptable. It must be hard enough for a young person and their family to live with mental illness without having to wait so long for treatment. If a young person needs psychological help now, their condition is more likely to be further entrenched and more difficult to treat a whole six months later.

The situation is just as concerning for older people. Take a condition such as dementia, which is an illness that we all fear and dread. I am sure that we all know someone who is affected. The Cabinet Secretary, as I did, recently met Frank and Amanda Kopel, who have been campaigning for better care for dementia sufferers. I pay tribute to them for the loving, caring, determined and dignified way in which they have campaigned.

They and others have raised the issue of poor access to local services, and the matters that they raise get to the nub of the issue. In the current climate we see devastating cuts to local government budgets. I do not want this to be taken as political knockabout; it is a very serious issue that we must address. We see support services being cut, educational psychologist posts being lost, classroom assistants going—they are very much the front line of support—social care in crisis, drug and alcohol services being reduced, support grants to the voluntary sector slashed and respite and other care provision cut back. All those factors and more impact on people’s ability to access services and the community’s ability to help those with debilitating mental health conditions.

I ask the Parliament: when we will have a mature debate about local government and NHS finance? When are we going to face the realities, as is our duty in this Parliament, and discuss how we do or do not finance local mental health and associated support services? Where is the morality in children and families suffering and people such as Frank and Amanda Kopel being denied treatment and services, while at the same time their Parliament fails to address the fundamental problem of the way in which services are financed?

I move amendment S4M-09558.1, to insert at end:

“; further notes that the number of admissions of children to adult wards rose in 2013 by 27% to 219 after a number of years of progress, and calls on the Scottish Government to review its plans for bed capacity for children and young people with mental health problems”.