Mental health and wellbeing strategy: consultation - easy read

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy - Consultation: Easy Read

What is a Consultation?

As they usually do before making important changes, the Scottish Government wants to seek views of people on what should change.

When the Scottish Government asks people for their views it is called a Consultation.

The Scottish Government would like your views on how we can improve people's Mental Health and Wellbeing in Scotland.

What this consultation is about

This consultation is about mental health services and how to prevent poor mental health in Scotland.

Good mental health and wellbeing is important. This has been made even clearer in the pandemic.

We want high quality mental health support to be available for everyone that needs it.

We want the system to support people to be the best they can.

We asked people, including those who work in mental health services and those who have experience of mental health issues what outcomes they want for the strategy, or in other words, what they want the strategy to achieve for people.

The Scottish Government want to know your views on these outcomes.

The outcomes are the goals we want to achieve from the strategy.

What is the strategy about?

The Strategy will mainly cover the next five years, until 2027, but it some of the outcomes will take a lot longer to achieve.

The strategy will also set out a much longer term approach to improve the mental health and wellbeing of the population.

We want the Strategy to help make things more equal for people and make sure people's rights are protected.

The consultation includes terms such as "mental health" and "mental wellbeing" in the document

Mental Health and Wellbeing Support

Sometimes it can be difficult to talk or write about these experiences, whether they are your own or other people's. You can respond to any questions in the consultation that you want to. There is no need to respond to them all.

If you are affected by any of the issues covered in this document and need support, help is available. We have included links to some of those sources of support below.

Breathing Space / phone 0800 83 85 87

NHS24 / phone 111

Mind To Mind

National Trauma Training Programme

Questions

Part 1 - Descriptions

Mental Health - Everyone has mental health. This is how we think and feel about ourselves and the world around us

Mental Wellbeing – Is feeling good about your life, with a sense of purpose and good relationships with others.

Mental Health conditions and mental illness – These can greatly impact on your life. If you have a mental health condition or mental illness, you will have been seen by and diagnosed by a professional such as a Doctor or Psychiatrist.

Please put a tick in the box which best answers the question and how you feel.

Question 1. Do you agree with these descriptions?

Yes

No

If you answered no, what would you change about this description?

Part 2 - Our Overall Vision

We think that our simple vision for the Strategy should be "Better mental health and wellbeing for all."

Question 2: Do you agree with the vision?

Yes

No

If not, what would you suggest for the vision?

Question 3: If we achieve our vision, what do you think success would look like?

Part 3 - Our Key Areas of Focus

These are the areas we think we need to focus on:

Promoting and supporting the conditions for good mental health and mental wellbeing at population level.

Providing accessible signposting to help, advice and support.

Providing a rapid and easily accessible response to those in distress.

Ensuring safe, effective treatment and care of people living with mental illness

Question 4: Do you agree with these 4 areas?

Yes

No

If not, what else do you think we should concentrate on as a key area of focus?

Part 4 – Outcomes

Below are the outcomes that people have said they would like for the new Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

We would like to know what you think of these outcomes.

Please tick the box that describes how you feel about these outcomes.

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Question 5. Do you agree that the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy should influence the social factors that affect mental health and wellbeing, to improve people's lives and reduce inequalities? (This would include housing, education, poverty).

Agree

Neutral

Disagree

Question 6. Do you agree that the Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy should aim to achieve the following outcomes for people?

	Agree	Neutral	Disagree
People understand what is meant by mental health and wellbeing and mental health conditions
People understand the things that can affect their own and other's mental health and wellbeing
People recognise that it is natural for things that happen to them, to affect how they feel. Such as a family death or lose of a job.
People know what they can do to look after their own and other's mental health and wellbeing. People know how to access help and what to expect.
People are able to cope during times of stress, or challenging life circumstances
People feel safe, secure, settled and supported
People feel a sense of hope, purpose and meaning
People feel valued, respected, included and accepted
People feel connected with their communities and supported by their community.
People know that it is okay to ask for help and that they have someone to talk to and listen to them
People are able to have healthy, nurturing, supportive relationships throughout their lives
People with mental health conditions are supported and able to achieve what they want to achieve in their daily lives
People with mental health conditionsare supported to have as good physical health as possible
People living with physical health conditions have as good mental health and wellbeing as possible
People experiencing long term mental health conditions are supported to self-manage their care.
People are involved in the decisions that affect their health, treatment and lives. Even where there may be limits on the decisions they can make (due to the setting, incapacity or illness), people feel that they are supported to make choices, and their views and rights will be respected

Do you have any comments you would like to add on the above outcomes?

Question 7. Do you agree that the Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy should aim to achieve the following outcomes for communities?

This includes geographic communities, communities of interest and communities of shared characteristics.

	Agree	Neutral	Disagree
Communities are able to influence decisions that affect their lives and support mental wellbeing
Communities help people, including people with mental health conditions, to live free from stigma and discrimination
Communities are a source of support that help people cope with challenging life events.
Communities provide access to a range of activities and opportunities for enjoyment and learning.

Question 7. Do you agree that the Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy should aim to achieve the following outcomes for populations?

	Agree	Neutral	Disagree
We live in a fair and compassionate society that is free from discrimination and stigma
We have reduced inequalities in mental health and wellbeing and mental health conditions
We have created the social conditions for people to grow up, learn, live, work and play, which support and enable people and communities to flourish and achieve the highest attainable mental health and wellbeing across the life-course
People living with mental health conditions experience improved quality and length of life

Do you have any comments you would like to add on the above outcomes?

Question 8. Do you agree that the Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy should aim to achieve the following outcomes for services and support?

	Agree	Neutral	Disagree
A strengthened community-focussed approach, which includes and funds the third sector and community-based services and support for mental health and wellbeing.
Lived experience is genuinely valued and integrated in all parts of our mental health care, treatment and support services.
People experience a person-centred and flexible approach which supports them to achieve their personal outcomes.
We have a service and support system that ensures there is no wrong door, with points of access and clear referral pathways that people and the workforce understand and can use
Everyone can access support and services in the right place, at the right time wherever they live in Scotland.
People are able to easily access and move between services and support (clinical and non-clinical)
Services and support focus on early intervention and prevention, as well as treatment.

Do you have any comments you would like to add on the above outcomes?

Question 9. Do you agree that the Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy should aim to achieve the following outcome for information, data and evidence?

	Agree	Neutral	Disagree
People who make decisions about support, services and funding use high quality evidence, research and data to improve mental health and wellbeing and to reduce inequalities. They have access to infrastructure and analysis that support this.

Do you have any comments you would like to add on the above outcome?

10. Are there any other outcomes we should be working towards? Please say below:

Creating the Conditions for Good Mental Health and Wellbeing

Different things affect our mental health and wellbeing, such as our family, our work, housing and money. We may also have suffered trauma or have less opportunities to access support and services which affect mental health.

We want to hear what you think are the most important factors.

Question 11. What are the main things in day-to-day life that currently have the biggest positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of you, or of people you know?

Question 12. What are the main things in day-to-day life that currently have the biggest negative impact on the mental health and wellbeing of you, or people you know?

Question 13. There are things we can all do day-to-day to support our own, or others', mental health and wellbeing and stop mental health issues arising or recurring.

In what ways do you actively look after your own mental health and wellbeing?

	Yes	No
Exercise
Sleep
Community groups
Cultural activities
Time in nature
Time with family and friends
Mindfulness/meditation practice
Hobbies/practical work
Other

Is there anything else you would like to tell us?

Question 14. Is there anything that stops you from being able to do these activities? Such as costing too much, too far away

Question 15. We know that money worries and debt can have an impact on mental health and that this is being made worse by the recent rise in the cost of living. In what way do concerns about money impact on your mental health?

Question 16. What support would help with money worries?

Access to Advice and Support for Mental Wellbeing

Question 17. If you wanted to improve your mental health and wellbeing, where would you go first for advice and support?

	Yes	No
NHS 24
Friend
Family
Third Sector (charity)
Doctor or GP
Online Support
Teacher or Lecturer
Other Support

If you ever access online support, which website or organisation do you go to for help and support?

We want to hear about your experiences of accessing mental health and wellbeing support so we can learn from good and bad experiences.

Question 18. Could you tell us if you had a good or bad experience of the following:

	Good	Bad
NHS staff listened to me
Waiting time for an appointment
Choice of services I could access
I was involved in my treatment choices
Services were easy to access
Access to emergency care and support
People understood the support I need
I was signposted to support services

Improving Services

Question 19. Please tell us about the things that would make services better?

	Yes	No
Shorter waiting times for access to services
Less signposting to services
More choice for treatment and support
Services which are closer to home
Access to support services which help me achieve my goals
Access to online support services
I am involved in my care and treatment plan
Joined up services

Difficult or Traumatic Life Experiences

Question 20. For some people, mental health issues can arise following traumatic or very difficult life and/or adulthood experiences in childhood.

What kind of support is most helpful to support recovery from previous traumatic experiences?

	Yes	No
Signposting
Counselling Services
Psychiatrist Services
Clinical Psychology
Support services which help achieve my personal goals
Support care co-ordinator
Online Support

Question 21. What things can get in the way of recovery from such experiences?

Children, Young People and Families' Mental Health

Question 22. What should our priorities be when supporting the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people, their parents and families?

	Yes	No
Family Support Services
Being able to talk to your Doctor or Psychiatrist
Mental Health support in schools, colleges and universities
Joined up services
Counselling services
Online services and support

Question 23. What things do you feel have the biggest impact on children and young people's mental health?

	Yes	No
Access to hobbies and activities
Support in schools, colleges and universities
Access to open air
Supportive Family
Sports and exercise
Friends

Your Experience of Mental Health Services

Question 24. If you have received care and treatment for any aspect of your mental health, who did you receive care and treatment from?

	Yes	No
Psychiatrist or psychologist
GP Services
Counselling
Emergency/Crisis Service
In-patient hospital services
Online support/services
Third Sector Services

Our Vison and Outcomes for the Mental Health and Wellbeing workforce

What is the Mental Health workforce?

People who work in mental health support services

Our vision is that the workforce now and in the future are skilled and can provide person-centred, trauma-informed, rights-based, compassionate services and support.

Question 25. Are these the right outcomes for our workforce ?

	Agree	Neutral	Disagree
Good data to help with workforce planning
Improved workforce data for different mental health staff groups
Peer support and peer worker roles are part of mental health services
Improved national and international recruitment
Create a more diverse workforce
Increased awareness of careers in mental health
Long term workforce supported by training
Increased student intake through traditional routes into mental health professions
Create alternative routes into mental health professions
Improved and consistent training standards across Scotland
Our workforce feel more knowledgeable about other Services in their local area and how to link others in to them
Our workforce is informed and confident in supporting self-care and recommending digital mental health resources
Improved leadership training

Question 26. Do you have any comments you would like to add on the above outcomes?

Who are our mental health and wellbeing workforce?

Question 27. Who can support your mental health and wellbeing?

	Yes	No
Psychiatrist or psychologist
A GP or any other NHS staff
A social care worker or a teacher
A charity or third sector worker
Someone like you, who has experience of mental health issues and can give you advice

Question 28. Do you go to anyone else when you need help with your mental health and wellbeing?

Question 29. Where do you find people who can help to support your mental health and wellbeing?

	Yes	No
In a hospital
In a GP surgery
In a care home
In a charity or third sector organisation
Online
In a school or college
At your work
In a police station or prison
In a community centre or club
In a church or other place of worship
At home

Question 30. Where else would you find people who can help to support your mental health and wellbeing?

Question 31. How can they support you?

	Yes	No
Tell you where to go to get help
Diagnose you
Treat you
Help you stay well
Help you deal with difficult life circumstances or events that can make you unwell
Help your family support you

Question 32. Is there any other way in which others can support your mental health and wellbeing?

Final Thoughts?

Question 33. Is there anything else you want to tell us about?

Giving your consultation answers

You do not need to read all, or answer all the questions, unless you want to. We know that different people will be interested in different issues.

We would like you to give us your answers by 9 September 2022.

You can fill out this consultation by answering the questions above and sending it to us by email or by post. Please also include the Respondent Information Form.

Please respond to this consultation using the Scottish Government's consultation hub, Citizen Space. Access and respond to this consultation online.

You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date of 09/09/2022.

If you are unable to respond using our consultation hub, please complete the Respondent Information Form to:

Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy - Consultation

Scottish Government

Mental Health Directorate

St Andrew's House

Edinburgh, EH1 3DG

Handling your response

If you respond using Citizen Space, you will be directed to the About You page before giving your answers. Please tell us how you want your answers to be handled and if you are happy for them to be published. If you ask for your answers not to be published, we will do as you ask.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government has to follow the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information about answers to this consultation.

Please complete and return the Respondent Information Form included in this document with your answers to the questions so we know whether you want us to publish your response or not.

To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy.

Next steps in the process

If you have given permission for your answers to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain nothing offensive, your answers will be made available to the public.

After the closing date, we will look at all responses and considered them along with any other information we have. Responses will be published if we have been given permission to do so. An analysis report will also be made available.

Comments and complaints

If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the contact address above or at MentalHealthStrategyEngagement@gov.scot

Scottish Government consultation process

Consultation is an essential part of the policymaking process. It gives us the chance to think about your opinion and expertise in an area where we think changes should be made.

You can find all our consultations online. Each consultation gives details on the issues we are thinking about, as well as a way for you to give us your views, either online, by email or by post.

Responses will be looked at and used as part of the decision making process, along with a range of other available information and evidence. We will publish a report of this analysis for every consultation.