Leadership Board - Fifth meeting: update paper
A paper detailing updates to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Leadership Board in February 2026
Progress towards the Mental Health Strategy Vision
Since publication of our joint Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in June 2023, work has been taken forward across a wide range of actions to ensure we make progress towards the Strategy’s Vision of:
“a Scotland, free from stigma and inequality, where everyone fulfils their right to achieve the best mental health and wellbeing possible.”
These actions are outlined in our Delivery and Workforce Action Plans published in November 2023. Progress, achievements and challenges in the delivery of the plans were summarised in June 2025 as part of a formal interim report. Progress against individual actions continues to be reported to the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy Leadership Board and shared on the Scottish Government website.
Following engagement with stakeholders, on 20 January 2026, Public Health Scotland published an Evaluation Framework which sets out a proposal for a theory-based approach to assessing the Strategy’s impact over the next decade.
The Scottish Government has also developed a Monitoring Framework and an Initial Monitoring Report to support the monitoring of progress against the Strategy’s outcomes and these were also published on 20 January 2026.
High level insights from initial monitoring demonstrate a mixed picture in terms of progress. For instance, since the 2022 baseline, average adult mental wellbeing has improved and the proportion of adults experiencing psychological distress has decreased. Symptoms of anxiety and depression and levels of high life satisfaction have also shown small, non-significant improvements. However, the report indicates experiences of mental health-related discrimination and harassment increased from 2022 to 2023. With regard to access to services, CAMHS performance has improved, and the 18-week waiting time standard has been consistently met from late 2024. In contrast, adult and older adult psychological therapies remain below target.
Understanding such trends across the longer term will be important in recognising where progress has been made and where effort should be focused. Approaches to data collection will also consider alignment to Population Health Framework and Social Renewal Framework, ensuring mental health and wellbeing continues to be appropriately considered within our wider national approach.