Mental health strategy for Scotland 2012-15

Improving mental health and treating mental illness are two of our major challenges. We are not unique in facing these challenges and in Scotland we have had much success in promoting rights and recovery, addressing stigma and improving service outcomes. More people are receiving effective treatment and they receive it more quickly than ever before. Increasingly, people have a good understanding of their own mental health and are prepared to talk about things when things are not good. People come from around the world to learn from us. We are rightly proud of what we have collectively achieved. But though Scotland does well, there is more work to do. This Strategy sets out our objectives for the period to 2015. Key challenges are to continue the good work that has already been started to deliver on our commitments to offer faster access to specialist mental health services for young people and faster access to psychological therapies. These targets are world leading in setting expectations for access to mental health services. They demonstrate how in Scotland we truly give mental health parity with other health services in what we do as well as in what we say. We have also made good progress on reducing suicide in challenging conditions and must build on that success.