Community-led initiatives can promote mental wellbeing. Policies, strategies, frameworks and resources to support this include:
Community Health Exchange [external site] CHEX is one of the leading agencies in Scotland that provides a resource in supporting community development approaches to health improvement and challenging health inequalities. Critical Perspectives from Scotland: The Glasgow Papers [700kb] (2010) A series of papers relating to community empowerment. Developing Social Prescribing and Community Referrals for Mental Health in Scotland [PDF: 624kb] (2007) This paper considers the use of non-medical interventions (community referrals or social prescribing) to improve mental health in primary care. Greenspace and Health Outcomes Framework [external site] (2010) The framework was developed through close consideration of a series of real challenges and projects in Glasgow and Dundee. It used inputs from professionals involved in delivering a wide-range of ‘greenspace and health’ work. Healthy Communities: Meeting the Shared Challenge [PDF: 1.23mb] (2008) Meeting the Shared Challenge is a national support programme to promote and develop a community-led approach to health improvement. The programme supports local partnerships to strengthen the ways community-led health improvement is understood, planned for and supported as part of their overall approach to improving health and wellbeing. Mental Health and the Economic Downturn: National Priorities and NHS solutions [PDF:740kb] (2009) This report outlines the challenges facing the mental health sector and sets out how policy makers, organisational leaders and health and social care professionals should respond. Mental health promotion: Building an economic case [PDF: 1.2mb] (2007) Produced on behalf of the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health, this report uses economic analysis to develop the case for greater investment in mental health promotion. Mental health, resilience and inequalities [PDF: 460kb] (2009) This report explores the evidence that mental health influences a very wide range of outcomes for individuals and communities. Monitoring poverty and social exclusion in Scotland 2010 [PDF: 275kb] (2010) Current data relating to poverty and social exclusion in Scotland. Mosaics of Meaning: Partnerships with black and minority ethnic communities to promote mental health [external site] (2010) A guide for health improvement practitioners describing how a series of interventions delivered by the NHS, voluntary sector and user-led organisations in Glasgow sought to tackle stigma in mental health with BME communities. Promoting mental health and preventing mental illness: The economic case for investment in Wales [PDF: 1.4MB] This report uses economic analysis to develop the case for greater investment in mental health promotion. The Receding Tide: Understanding unmet need in a harsher economic climate (2009) [external site] The Young Foundation produced this report as part of a large-scale survey of the UK's changing needs and to provide an overview of current knowledge. Resilience and the recession in six deprived communities: Preparing for worse to come? [PDF: 370kb] (2010) The Joseph Rowntree Foundation is conducting a research programme called Poverty and Place. This paper reports on the ongoing study and examines the interaction between poverty and place in six relatively deprived communities across Britain Scottish Independent Regeneration Forum [external site] SURF is the independent regeneration network for Scotland. SURF’s overall objective is to improve the health and wellbeing of residents in Scotland’s disadvantaged communities. Mental Health Europe Position Paper on the occasion of the 8th Roundtable on Poverty and Social Exclusion, Stockholm, 15-16 October 2009 (2009) [PDF: 84kb] This position paper was developed in relation to the social inclusion of people with mental health problems in times of recession. Time for change: Annual report of the Chief Medical Officer [PDF: 1.2MB] (2010) The annual report from Dr. Harry Burns, the Chief Medical Officer for Scotland. Voices of people experiencing poverty in Scotland: Everyone matters? [PDF: 239kb] (2007) This report describes the findings from focus group research, undertaken to provide people experiencing poverty in Scotland with an opportunity to identify the issues that affect them, so that their views can inform policy debate. What's it Worth? The Social and Economic Cost of Mental Health Problems in Scotland [PDF 913kb] (2010) Produced by the Scottish Association for Mental Health (SAMH), this report highlights the social and economic costs of mental health problems in Scotland. Working and learning together to build stronger communities [external site] (2004) Community Learning and Development’s (CLD) main aim is to help individuals and communities tackle real issues in their lives through community action and community-based learning.