Increase mental health training and education

Our stance

“There should be mandatory training for those working in education and health care settings on how to identify mental health problems and provide support for all young people, especially those most at risk.”

89% of young people consulted agreed with this statement.

The current situation in Scotland

The pandemic has worsened Scotland’s mental health crisis, particularly among young people. However, waiting times for services can be up to three years and young people are being turned away from mental health services.

Addressing the mental health crisis for young people is a priority for the Scottish Government. They have made big commitments and investments to reduce waiting times and improve services, although there is still lots of work to be done. Alongside investing in specialist services (such as CAMHS), the Scottish Government are investing in mental health support in schools and community- based mental health services.

What do MSYPs want to see?

• Better quality information.
• Sign-posting to safe online resources.
• Mental Health Action Plans in schools, universities, colleges, youth groups, etc.
• Accessible support for all young people.
• Young people’s involvement in the design of services.

What action has SYP taken so far?

MSYPs have passed policies calling for: dedicated mental health services for care experienced people; respite opportunities and facilities for young carers; reduction of CAHMS waiting times, more support for LGBT youth mental health; and mental health training for teachers.

Recently, SYP’s ‘Mental Health Investigation Team’ carried out an independent evaluation of community-based mental health support and our ‘Screensavers’ are currently updating the ‘Mind Yer Time’ digital resource.

At the 2023 Cabinet Takeover event, an MSYP raised the issue of better bereavement support for young people.

Our next steps

Campaign Delivery Groups will now be formed where Members will go on to design and deliver each of the three campaigns.

Resources

Want to learn more about young people’s mental health? Check out these resources:

• Scottish Action for Mental Health research on children and young people’s mental health.
• The Change Mental Health report on inequalities faced by young people in rural Scotland when accessing mental health services.
• Mental Health Foundation Scotland data on the mental health of college and university students.