Our stance
89% of young people consulted agreed with this statement.
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?
The SYP Manifesto 2026-2031, ‘Dear Scotland’s Future‘, set out the policy “Prevention and early-intervention approaches, including education and community-based mental health services, should be invested in to support young people’s mental health”.
91% of young people consulted agreed with this statement.
MSYPs have passed other 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.
During SYP’s Executive and Cabinet Takeover programme for 2024-2026, MSYPs highlighted existing resources and where the gaps are for improving support and advice in services, called on Scottish Government to introduce universal and comprehensive mental health training for all adults working with young people, and asked for mental health education to be incorporated into the school curriculum for all schools.
SYP regularly meets with the Scottish Government’s Children and Young People’s Mental Health Team as part of our wider programme of work for Mind Yer Time and upcoming youth-led research on young people’s views and experiences of screen time and online life, and the impact this has on their mental health and wellbeing. Previously, MSYPs have also sat on the Child and Family Mental Health Joint Strategic Board (JSB), representing the voices of young people in key decision-making spaces. This JSB is currently under review and will be redesigned over 2026.
Through this partnership, MSYPs also designed and delivered a small research project to understand young people’s experiences of communicating with CAMHS, especially their experiences of rejection and referral letters when seeking support. Following on from a survey of young people from across Scotland, SYP presented the findings and a series of recommendations to the CAMHS Managers Network for improving these communications.
In 2024, MSYPs also met with the team crafting the Programme for Government (PfG) to speak about the mental health campaign. In 2024, the PfG included a commitment to “provide £120 million of additional funding for NHS Boards to support continued improvements across a range of mental health services and treatments, including meeting the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting times standard nationally, with backlogs cleared by December 2025”.
In 2023, 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 with a focus on Artificial Intelligence and Digital Literacy.
The current situation in Scotland
The pandemic has worsened Scotland’s mental health crisis, particularly among young people. There is an epidemic facing young people now. 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.
Our next steps
The 2024-2026 campaigns are coming to an end, following two years of great campaigning and advocacy from MSYPs. The Campaign Planning Groups will wrap up all the campaign work, pulling together all the findings, consultation with young people and successes over the last two years and set out some recommendations for the legacy work that will follow. SYP will continue to advocate for improved support, training, advice and resources to help young people navigate their mental health and tackle the mental health epidemic.
MSYPs will continue to engage with decision-makers on this issue and sit on decision-making bodies to ensure young people’s voices and experiences are centered on all issues impacting them.
Resources
Want to learn more about young people’s mental health? Check out these resources:
- Mind Yer Time provides positive tips, stories and information for children and young people, created by children and young people, about how we can use screens and social media in ways that protect our health and wellbeing.
- ASK is a library of resources created by young people which aims to support all adults who interact with children and young people to check in on children and young people’s wellbeing.
- 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.
