Our history
Since 1923, SAMH has been Scotland’s national mental health charity. And we will be here for as long as we are needed.
100 years of SAMH
Pre-dating the NHS, we trace our roots back to the early 1900s and the pioneering work of Dr Kate Fraser CBE, from Paisley. Dr Fraser’s dedication to improving the conditions and treatment of people with mental health problems was truly inspirational, and we keep her vision alive across Scotland’s communities every single day. Find out how we’ve been pioneering change since 1923.
Why not join us and make this the year to do something for Scotland's mental health?
Centenary strategy
Society has come a long way since those early years but there is so much still left to do. Our centenary strategy, We Won’t Wait, sets out our demands for better mental health support, and our ambition for people to be able to ask once and get help fast.
Our impact
A century on, SAMH operates over 70 services in communities across Scotland. Our services are person centred and based on an ethos of recovery. Below are stories shared by just three of the people we support, thanks to our supporters, dedicated colleagues and the trust you place in us.
Steve’s Story
SAMH's The Changing Room is just one of the ways we're helping to prevent suicide
Lynda’s Story
We run community gardens across Scotland, bringing people together to learn new skills in the great outdoors
Donald’s Story
SAMH's employment services help people like Donald to secure employment and training opportunities
Fit for the future
We’ve learned a thing or two about overcoming challenges in our 100 years. And when the Covid-19 pandemic brought in-person services to a standstill, we moved many of our services online to continue supporting individuals and communities with their mental health and wellbeing. We also created something new: Time for You. This virtual wellbeing support service offers access to Wellbeing Coaching and Talking Therapy for people experiencing mild to moderate emotional or mental health difficulties.
