About the National Programme

The National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing was launched in October 2001. Working nationally and locally, it's a vital part of the Scottish Government's commitment to improving health and achieving social justice.

The vision for Scotland...

is to improve the mental health and wellbeing of everyone living in Scotland and to improve the quality of life and social inclusion of people who experience mental health problems.

What does the National Programme do?

As part of the Scottish Government's Health Department, we take the lead on positive mental health and wellbeing improvement. We help shape, fund and support a series of key initiatives and support partnerships that are focused on different aspects of improving Scotland's Mental Health. The National Programme also undertakes a range of supporting activities to help this work move forward.

Key aims and priorities

The work of the National Programme is informed by four key aims and six priority areas (click the links to find out more).

The bigger picture

The National Programme works alongside other Scottish Government departments and policies. These include those on health improvement, social justice and social inclusion, education and young people, arts and culture, enterprise, and life-long learning.

Click here for a diagram of how the National Programme is structured and how it fits in with other policy areas.

Working with Scotland

We know that, ultimately, it's what goes on outside Holyrood that counts. That's why we consult with service users, the voluntary sector, health boards, local authorities, education providers, Scottish businesses and others. All of our work is designed to support the wider community of Scotland in its efforts to improve mental health and wellbeing for everyone.

‘A Positive Vision for Scotland’ - a mental health improvement showcase event

In June 2006, a mental health improvement showcase event – ‘A Positive Vision for Scotland’ was held in Edinburgh. An impressive breadth of work in many areas of mental health improvement was presented to over 200 key stakeholders from across Scotland. The report below details the structure and content of the day and includes feedback from group discussions and the results of an online survey sent to delegates after the event.

A Positive Vision for Scotland Report download here:

positive-vision-scotland.pdf [123.70Kb]

Can I help?

Absolutely! Browse our range of key initiatives then visit their home pages to find out how you can get involved. If you have an enquiry about the National Programme, you can get in touch with us direct.

From putting up a few posters to organising staff training, there's any number of ways to help and a huge amount still to be done to improve Scotland's mental health.