A NEW study has revealed that many people with severe mental health problems are out of work and feel lonely.
Research by the Mental Welfare Commission found many positive aspects of care and support for people with severe and enduring mental ill health in Scotland who were in touch with community mental health services.
However, only three of the 59 people interviewed had jobs, and a significant number experienced some loneliness and isolation.
The study involved interviews with people in every mainland health board in Scotland, and with one island authority.
All of those interviewed were identified by local community mental health services and had been diagnosed with a significant mental health illness for more than a year.
Most people said they were satisfied with their care and treatment, saw local mental health care teams regularly, and had good arrangements for crisis planning. The large majority had regular physical health checks, and were satisfied with their housing.
Colin McKay, chief executive of the Mental Welfare Commission, said: “Most of our visits to people with mental ill health take place in hospital.
“But we know that many people with severe and enduring mental ill health live in the community, and we wanted to hear their views on their care and treatment, and how they were getting on more generally.
“All of those we visited were connected to community mental health services, and they had positive experiences of that support. This is welcome.
“But while people’s lives were safe and stable, there was also a sense of low expectations; of little belief that life might offer more opportunities.”
The report calls on the Scottish Government to include a stronger focus on employment support in the next mental health strategy.
It also makes recommendations for community mental health services to have a clear focus on recovery and for the Care Inspectorate to have a focus in local authority inspections on how local authorities are providing services to promote wellbeing.
“We would like to see more ambition from local authorities, the NHS and integrated joint boards in helping those with severe and enduring mental ill health to feel positively about their chances of getting back to work, and engaging more.
“The Scottish Government is consulting now on its next strategy for mental health, which includes a commitment to ensure that employment and welfare programmes are designed to take account of mental health conditions. This is encouraging, and we hope to see real progress in the coming years.”
The Government is holding a number of events across Scotland to allow people to air their views on the new plan to transform the country’s mental health. The Minister for
Mental Health, Maureen Watt, launched the public events programme at a visit to the Flourish House charity in Glasgow yesterday.
Flourish House is an independent charity founded in 1997 that aims to enable people with mental illness to regain purposeful lives in their communities.
The public events, hosted by NHS Health Scotland and Young Scot, will be held on August 30 at the Beach Ballroom in Aberdeen, Discovery Point in Dundee on September 6,Trades Hall, Merchant City, Glasgow, on September 13 and the Cosla Education Centre, Edinburgh, on September 14.
Watt said: “We want to gather as many views we can, from a range of people and organisations who have an interest in mental health, or a view on services. Our new strategy for mental health will set out our vision for how to transform these services over the next decade.
“I want this strategy to be ambitious and to focus on things that will make a real difference to mental health and wellbeing in Scotland. To do that we need to hear from people with a direct experience.”
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