The New Conservative government’s plans for health and the NHS outlined today included a welcome commitment to reforming the Mental Health Act and social care. But it must go much further to tackle the root causes of poor mental health and also invest in prevention if we are to address the unacceptable levels of mental ill health.
Despite the cost-effectiveness of preventing mental health problems in the long term, there are gaps in the research base on prevention of mental ill health.
The Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival (SMHAF) is an internationally respected annual programme to support the arts, explore how engagement in the arts can help prevent mental ill-health and challenge preconceived ideas about mental health.
A delegation of Finnish Parliamentarians and charities are headed to Scotland this week in a fact-finding and knowledge-exchange mission on mental health.
