Our mental health is important to all of us as it affects every aspect of our lives. There is no health without mental health. The Scottish Government is committed to working to improve the mental health of Scotland's people through ensuring that appropriate services are in place, but also by working through social policy and health improvement activity to reduce the burden of mental health problems and mental illness and to promote good mental wellbeing.

 

The way we talk about mental health, mental wellbeing, mental health problems and mental illness can often be confusing. This policy document deals with mental wellbeing as well as mental illness and mental health problems. The idea of mental wellbeing includes both how people feel - their emotions and life satisfaction - and how people function - their self-acceptance, positive relations with others, personal control over their environment, purpose in life and autonomy.

 

Each person's experience differs. Some people who experience mental illness may have a good quality of life and experience good mental wellbeing. Others who do not experience mental illness may nevertheless have poor mental wellbeing and a poor quality of life. Those with depression are also less likely to have a feeling of wellbeing.

 

Mental health improvement refers to activity to promote good mental wellbeing in the general population; to reduce the prevalence of common mental health problems; and to improve the quality of life for those experiencing mental health problems or mental illness. Our approach is based on a social, economic, physical, and cultural environment, including people's personal strengths and vulnerabilities, their lifestyles and health-related behaviours, and economic and environmental factors.

 

 

Related organisations

• Choose Life The Scottish Government's suicide prevention strategy was launched in December 2002.
  www.chooselife.net/web/site/home/home.asp
• See Me The 'see me' campaign was launched in October 2002 to challenge stigma and discrimination around mental ill-health in Scotland.
  www.seemescotland.org/about/
• Scottish Recovery Network The Scottish Recovery Network aims to engage communities across Scotland in debate on how best to promote and support recovery from long-term mental health problems.
  www.scottishrecovery.net/content/