Parliament Workbench

Petition · PE01438 · Session 4

Improving services for people with mental illness

Closed Submitted 28 Jun 2012 Health
Signatures
0
219 online signatures with a country
Comments
18
Considered
4 meetings
in the Official Report

What it asks

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to provide improved mental health services for those people in hospital and that have been discharged after having a mental health problem, and to actively stop the stigma of mental ill-health to ensure that people with mental health problems do not feel ashamed of their feelings.

What the petitioner did first

I have emailed my councillors and MSPs about this issue. Each time I receieved a reply I was promised that they would bring my concerns up in Parliament whenever they would. So far this has not happened.
I have also campaigned through volunteering with a mental health charity. The charity I volunteer with is the Scottish Association for Mental Health (also called SAMH). This charity raises money to challenge the stigma of mental ill health. It also provides accurate information on mental health disorders in order to tackle stigma from people gaining the wrong information. They run campaigns such as "Know where to go" which gives people contacts of organisations that can help them when they are unwell.
Finally by making problems with stigma and lack of support known through social media sites. I have a Facebook group name "North Lanarkshire Equal Minds" in which I actively campaign for better treatment for the mentally ill. This group can be accessed by anyone and keeps all of my campaigning work together.

Where it was considered

Official Report
  1. 13 Nov 2012
    Public Petitions Committee
    New Petitions
    1 mention
  2. 22 Jan 2013
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  3. 5 Mar 2013
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention
  4. 14 May 2013
    Public Petitions Committee
    Current Petitions
    1 mention

Signatures by country

219 online signatures
  1. Scotland165 75.3%
  2. United Kingdom29 13.2%
  3. England19 8.7%
  4. Wales2 0.9%
  5. Switzerland1 0.5%
  6. Ireland1 0.5%
  7. Australia1 0.5%
  8. South Africa1 0.5%

Comments

18 comments, oldest first
  1. Mandy Murphy 8 Jul 2012
    Couldnt agree more with this. Things need to change....and fast
  2. adam shanks 8 Jul 2012
    totally support it
  3. Andrew Morrison 8 Jul 2012
    Mental health problems are on the rise in Scotland and there is still a stigma attached to these in society. I think this is due to financial pressures, work pressures and unemployment caused by the present economic climate.

    I am happy to support this petition, congratulate the lead petitioner for her initiative in submitting the petition, and hope that the Scottish Parliament takes the necessary action to resolve the issues raised.
  4. Emma Pollock 9 Jul 2012
    I couldn't agree more, services should be improved for people with mental health problems, I hope the necessary action is taken to resolve the issues raised and well done to the lead petitioner for getting this petition under way.
  5. Margaret Bryce 14 Jul 2012
    I am all for changes as I do agree there is still a stigma of mental health. It's time to treat it the same as we would any physical illness.
  6. Thomas Simpson 14 Jul 2012
    I agree that this illness is not something that can be delayed and should be treated as a matter of urgency. Your normal gp does not have the training to deal with this and should have a professional deal with within days not months.
  7. Caitlin Brown 16 Jul 2012
    If those with mental illness are lwft feeling ashamed then we really must question the ability of these 'professionals' who treat them!!
  8. Amanda 20 Jul 2012
    My story of the lack of care given to me in my local psychiatric ward: beautyfrompainblog.com (blog post title
    - Scotland's Silent Deaths)
    - sorry would post url but it won't let me.

    Feel free to use if it can help in any way.
  9. Allyson INgram 24 Jul 2012
    Great work Lyndsey
  10. heather lang 26 Jul 2012
    good for you lyndsey hope you get good support
  11. Elizabeth Greene 30 Jul 2012
    Cuts have created a vast catalogue of additional inequalities and deterioration of services for people with mental health problems in and out of hospital.
  12. Andez 1 Aug 2012
    Thanks for posting this Jane. This is a REALLY impnatrot issue for all people with disabilities in Australia.My niece here in Queensland is an amazing 18 year old lady with autism. She is struggling to make the world understand what she wants to say. She has a very supportive father and sisters. But they can't speak for her as much as they would fervently wish to be able to do so.I so hope that policy change can facilitate her access to the technology that she so needs to be able to make her way out into the real world after leaving the support of the Special Education system.That is just my family story. We hear of so many others every day on Spectronics' phones and emails.
  13. Kenneth MacAlpine 12 Aug 2012
    I have suffered from the inability of doctors, police, social work, local council, even mental health suppert providers and my life has been hell not getting the help I ever need. Proud to say I am on the mend but not with any help.
  14. Lynsey Pattie 21 Aug 2012
    Andez. This is my petition for people with mental illness. Think you might have got a bit confused!
  15. Iain 23 Aug 2012
    It is not clear that you must enter both words and why is one so difficult to read?
  16. Moderator 14 Sep 2012
    We were recently made aware of a technical difficulty with the reCaptcha system. We are pleased to advise that this difficulty has now been resolved. If anyone becomes aware of a problem with the online petition system could they please report it to petitions@scottish.parliament.uk.

    Thank you.
  17. william black 18 Sep 2012
    My wife is disabled and we need help with dept problems the help out there is almost nil it can take weeks to see someone
  18. Lynsey Pattie 20 Sep 2012
    Ian, If you live in Scotland, the scottish association for mental health (SAMH) have a debt service. have a look on their website