Universal Mental Health Support

Mentally Healthy Schools

Half of all mental health problems in adulthood begin before the age of 14; and three quarters before 25. Although we know that mental health problems can’t always be prevented, we need to ensure that children and young people can access support in schools and that schools promote good mental health.

That’s why, in 2017, we launched our Going to Be campaign on children and young people’s mental health. So far, the Scottish Government has committed to introducing counselling services in all of Scotland’s secondary schools by September 2020.

Read more about what we think needs to happen to ensure Scotland has mentally healthy schools:

• Going to Be Well Trained: a SAMH survey on school staff training in mental health
• Going to Be All Right?: a report on the mental health of young people in Scotland
• Appraisal of School Based Counselling Across the UK

If you’re struggling at school or know someone who is, you can read and share our guide ‘How to cope with student life’. We also have some tips on supporting the mental health of school staff, read our guide on ‘Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of school staff’.

Student Mental Health

Poor student mental health is associated with an increased withdrawal from study; lower academic achievement; and greater physical ill-health and disability. Despite this, in 2017 only 60% of students who tried to access support received counselling, meaning that 40% were left to find an alternative.

We know that support for student mental health at colleges and universities is not consistent across Scotland, with demand outstripping availability. College students are at more of a disadvantage than university students. Only 46% of colleges have an on-campus counsellor, compared to 89% of universities.

Read about what we think needs to happen to improve students’ mental health, and how you can create change at your college or university:

• SAMH’s View on Student Mental Health
• SAMH Student Mental Health Toolkit

If you’re struggling at college or university, or know someone who is, you can read and share our guide ‘How to cope with student life’. We also have some tips on supporting the mental health of staff working in education, read our guide on ‘Supporting the mental health and wellbeing of school staff’.

General Practice

Ahead of the 2016 elections, SAMH called for an Ask Once, Get Help Fast approach to mental health. This approach is based on the knowledge that many people have to ask repeatedly, in different settings, before receiving any help, and then may have to wait a long time before help is forthcoming.

Everyone experiencing mental health problems should be able to quickly access high quality care and support. SAMH research found that 75% of people would start with their GP when seeking help for their mental health. We also know that 1 in 3 GP appointments involve mental health. So it’s really important that General Medical Practice is able to support people with mental health problems to access appropriate care and treatment.

Find out more about our calls for change in General Practice:

• A SAMH Survey of General Practitioners in Scotland
• Decisions were made about me not with me’: Treatment and Support for Depression