Ending Scotland's public mental health emergency

Our manifesto for the Scottish Parliament election in 2026 presents bold and practical proposals to place prevention at the heart of Scotland’s journey towards good mental health for all.

Location: Scotland

Scottish election manifesto 2026 cover page
Our manifesto for the Scottish Parliament election in 2026 presents bold and practical proposals to place prevention  at the heart of Scotland’s journey towards good mental  health for all.Scotland is in the grip of a public mental health emergency, characterised by lengthening waiting lists for diagnoses and treatment, extended absences from work and a mental health workforce stretched towards breaking point. The need to tackle Scotland’s public mental health emergency is a matter of social and economic justice, and the need is urgent.Now is the time for Scotland’s political parties to commit to embedding prevention as the crucial cornerstone for achieving good mental health for everyone in our communities. Read our manifesto Our manifesto for the Scottish Parliament election in 2026 presents bold and practical proposals to place prevention at the heart of Scotland’s journey towards good mental health for all.

We're calling for the Scottish government to:

Invest in prevention
Allocation of at least 10% of NHS funding to mental health and 1% to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

An Improving Scotland's Mental Health Fund of at least £20M annually.

A Preventative Investment Expenditure budget category for mental health as part of a 'mental health in all policies' approach.
Support early years
The Scottish Child Payment to be raised to £55 per week by the end of 2030 at the latest.

Roll-out of the Together to Thrive task-sharing model as part of a National Pathway for Neurodevelopmental Support Needs.

Every family to have one trusted, consistent professional during the first 1001 days of life - from early pregnancy until the child reaches the age of two years.
Enhance wellbeing
Long term, sustainable funding pathways for promoting the health and psychological wellbeing of people with long term conditions.

Free public transport for refugees and asylum seekers to reduce isolation and enable people to be active members of their communities.

National benchmarks for interpreter skills including language fluency, cultural competency training and specialised training for working with people with complex PTSD.

A national strategy for arts and mental health, backed by sustained investment in arts and mental-health based approaches.
two women laughing

Investing in prevention

The need to prioritise prevention in the delivery of public services in Scotland has long been recognised. The policy logic for shifting to a preventative approach in public services delivery is clear. Policy interventions for population level change in the short term will prevent negative outcomes for people in the medium to long term. They will also contribute to the fiscal sustainability of services, most obviously regarding demand for health and social protection services which is projected to become fiscally unsustainable in the medium term.Read more 

Supporting early years

  • Child poverty and mental health 
Every child in Scotland has the right to good mental health, but for many that is not their everyday lived experience. We know that children’s formative circumstances can profoundly influence the onset of future mental health issues, eroding their wellbeing and stymieing their future life chances. We’re calling for the Scottish Child Payment to be raised to £55 per week by the end of 2030 at the latest, in line with the Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group’s recommendation. 
  • Neurodevelopmental support needs 
As of March 2025, 42,000 children in Scotland were waiting for a neurodevelopmental assessment, an increase of 500% since 2020.Neurodivergence is not a mental health condition, nor should it be treated as such. However, neurodivergent people are more likely to experience mental health conditions such as anxiety, depression and insomnia during their lifetimes. It is therefore essential to provide appropriate support for families with a child on the waiting list for neurodevelopmental assessment. We’re calling for the roll-out of the Together to Thrive task-sharing model as part of a National Pathway for Neurodevelopmental Support Needs.
  • Connected support for the first 1001 days of life 
Stigma regarding perinatal mental health issues leaves many parents disengaged from the health and social care system, including young parents, racialised communities and people with experience of the justice system, social care or the asylum system. We know that consistent continuity of professional care is key to building trust in parents during pregnancy and children’s early years. However, the maternity support pathway only covers pregnancy until the child is approximately 10 days old, resulting in a change in professional care at a crucial time both for parents and their new-born children. We’re calling for every family to have one trusted, consistent professional during the first 1001 days of life - from early pregnancy until the child reaches the age of 2 years.Read our manifesto  
A family with a young child stood by a Christmas tree.
People smiling at art exhibition

Enhancing wellbeing

  • Long term conditions 
More people in Scotland are now living with long term mental and/or physical health conditions with associated negative effects on their wellbeing. Without appropriate support, long term physical health conditions can result in long term poor mental health outcomes (and vice versa), resulting in a downward spiral of overlapping health challenges that can be very difficult to treat. We’re calling for long term, sustainable funding pathways for promoting the health and psychological wellbeing of people with long term conditions, drawing on the Living Well model as one delivery mechanism to achieve that objective.
  • Refugees and people seeking asylum
People seeking refugee protection are at high risk of trauma related to their experiences fleeing torture, war, imprisonment, persecution and separation from family and friends. Poor post-migration living conditions can also have a detrimental impact on their mental health. It is therefore essential that the process of minimising refugees’ and asylum seekers’ trauma and accelerating their integration within communities is managed effectively and consistently. We're calling for free public transport for refugees and asylum seekers in order to reduce isolation and enable people to be active members of their communities.
  • A strategic arts-based approach to good mental health
Arts-based approaches promote connection, creativity and community, helping to prevent mental health problems and support people to live mentally healthier lives. Yet these approaches are underfunded, short term and lack national strategic coordination. Moreover, there are persistent and deep-seated inequalities in accessing cultural opportunities for people living in our most socio-economically disadvantaged communities. We're calling for a national strategy for arts and mental health, backed by sustained investment in arts and mental health-based approaches, building on the success of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.Download our manifesto 
Woman walking with her dog

Living Well: emotional support matters

Living Well helps boost the capacity of charities working with people with long term conditions.
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children watching sunset

Together to thrive

Together to Thrive takes a collaborative approach to improving the mental health and wellbeing of children with neuro-developmental needs.
Read more