Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland (TAMFS): Policy and Action Plan 2009-2011 [PDF: 5.84mb] was launched on Thursday 7 May 2009 by Shona Robison, Minister for Public Health and Sport.
TAMFS sits alongside other policies that aim to increase local and national action relating to mental health improvement.
TAMFS looks to build on national action of the last seven years, linked to the former National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing. It aims to secure commitment from more partners, and encourage and support more locally driven action.
Government aims
The Scottish Government is committed to mental health improvement [external site] in the context of the National Performance Framework, the five cross-cutting strategic objectives of which are:
- Healthier
- Wealthier and Fairer
- Safer and Stronger
- Smarter
- Greener
Mental health improvement involves a wide range of variables, including life stages, settings, interventions and approaches, and populations.
Mental health improvement activity links with several policy areas including:
- reduction in alcohol and substance misuse
- increasing physical activity
- reducing health inequalities.
Action also links to and supports policy in early years, education, life-long learning, older people, poverty and social inclusion.
Priority areas of work for the TAMFS: Policy and Action Plan
Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland (TAMFS) sets out six priority areas for action, focused on those likely to have the largest impact, where action can be cumulative in supporting and reinforcing other government priorities.
Desired outcomes of the TAMFS Policy and Action Plan
- Promote mental wellbeing in the whole population, and for specific target groups, by reinforcing protective factors and reducing risk factors.
- Prevent mental health problems and suicide in the whole population, and for specific target groups, by reinforcing protective factors and reducing risk factors. Support improvements in the quality of life of those experiencing mental health problems via inclusion, recovery, health, equality of access and reductions in stigma and discrimination.
- Improve treatment and care for those with mental illness as covered by Delivering for mental health [PDF: 873.5kb].
In this section
- Approach to current policy
- Supporting implementation of the current policy