MSP Mary Fee in call for better access to mental health services

A WEST of Scotland MSP has called for improved access to mental health services, particularly among young people

To mark World Mental Health Day last week, Labour’s Mary Fee lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament calling for greater support for people who need help with their mental health.

Ms Fee’s motion says every individual who experiences poor mental health should have access to well-funded and adequately resourced support services within their local communities.

It is estimated that one in four people in Scotland suffer from poor mental health.

This year’s annual theme for World Mental Health Day, that took place on October 10, is young people.

Research conducted by Stonewall Scotland in 2017 found that 58 per cent of lesbian, gay or bisexual pupils and 96 percent of transgender pupils have deliberately harmed themselves.

Ms Fee said: “It is important that politicians, public servants and public bodies help to raise the profile of mental health.

“I believe that in order to break the stigma around mental health we must widen the conversation and deepen our knowledge and understanding of the range of mental health issues that people may experience throughout their lives.

“I am unequivocal in my belief that mental health should be treated with the same priority as physical health.

“It is a scandal that nearly one-third of young people are waiting longer than 18 weeks for vital mental health treatment. It is simply unacceptable.”

In marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS, Scottish Labour outlined a 10-point plan in which they pledged to provide access to a mental health counsellor for every school pupil in Scotland and improve the access to crisis mental health services.

The Scottish Government has since promised to invest in extra mental health services in schools, though Ms Fee warned that any dilution of the pledge will cause greater difficulties for children and young people accessing much needed treatment and support.

Clydebank MSP Gil Paterson added:“Most families will have known of someone with a mental health problem who has kept it hidden.

“The Scottish Government have done a lot of work on raising awareness of mental health and tackling the stigma associated with it.

“This work has resulted in a lot more people coming forward for treatment and the Government recognises that this puts added demands on the service, which is why the SNP Government has allocated an extra £250 million for mental health services, which includes £60m for schools to support 350 counsellors and 250 extra school nurses so that every secondary school will have a counselling service.

“I have asked a series of questions at the parliament about exactly what has been done to support mental health services in the past and the Post will be first to know when I get the answers.”

 

Link to Clydebank Post article here 

Brave teen who opened up about mental health struggles found dead after being ‘fobbed off by doctor’

Rory McKelvie shared his battle on social media in the weeks prior to his death and urged those suffering to speak to friends and loved ones. 

 

Troubled teen Rory McKelvie who has died
Troubled teen Rory McKelvie has died after battling mental health issues. 

A troubled teenager who opened up about his mental health struggles online has been found dead.

Rory McKelvie bravely shared his battle on social media in the weeks leading up to his death and urged those suffering to talk to friends and loved ones.

But he said he received little support from doctors – and was told to come back when he felt he was “at breaking point”.

The teenager was found dead at an address in his hometown of Biggar, Lanarkshire, last weekend. His death is not being treated as suspicious.

His mum Sharryn shared the devastating news online, writing: “Our beautiful 19-year-old boy Rory passed away in his sleep today. RIP bonny lad.”

Rory told how someone had stopped him from committing suicide in November.

He said: “I was lucky that someone stopped me from committing suicide and the only reason I’m sharing this is because there is always another way no matter what. So please, please talk before doing something stupid.”

The teen previously opened up about his struggles on World Mental Health Day, October 10, and told how he was fobbed off by his doctor because he wasn’t “bad enough yet”.

In a powerful Twitter post, he wrote: “After explaining to my doctor (who knows I already have a pre-existing issue) I was told there are a lot of people worse than me and that I probably wouldn’t be dealt with and that I wasn’t bad enough yet and that I’m going to have to find another way to get help for my issues.

“Basically told me that I need to wait until a get closer to breaking point and then come back.

“The reason I’m sharing something that is personal to me, is I can’t stress how different things could’ve panned out for myself if I didn’t talk and I want to make sure that people know help is there, even though for me I tried and nobody helped.

“So anyone out there who is currently feeling not right, talk to your pals, your family or even f****** me, because those are the people who will pull you out that dark place.”

Tributes have poured in for the popular teen, including from Rory’s heartbroken girlfriend Caitlin Brigham, who said: “My amazing boyfriend got his angel wings this morning.”

 

Link to the Daily Record article here