Change Mental Health’s Annual Impact Report shows growth and clear impact with 11,377 people supported across Scotland over 35 services.

This growth is demonstrated in increasing support over the last two years, which sat at 10,071 people supported just two years ago and now with approximately a 13% uplift.

There have been other key highlights across the year:

• 98% of people receiving support feel believed, respected and heard, along with 81% now never accessing support from A&E about their mental illness and 80% having a sense of achievement through goal-setting.
• Our Welfare Benefits team within the National Advice and Support Service secured £693,746 in financial gains.
• Nearly 2,000 young people and educators have been supported through our Young People’s Programmes.
• Across all services, there has been an average improvement of 3.58 points in mental wellbeing scores.

The report also highlights an example of many instances where support has been transformational to someone’s life. When Thomas first reached out, he said he was at the point where he felt he couldn’t keep going. Living in a rural Highland town, he struggled to access trauma-informed support. The National Advice and Support Service helped him with access to benefits and support that he needed, with Thomas saying “it felt like they were not just listening but doing something”, emphasising that it finally felt like someone was on his side.

His genuine shift to hope and recovery made Thomas say: “It’s the first real change I’ve seen in 35 years. I finally feel like I have a real chance to change a major issue in my life.

Read the report

Coleen Kelly, Director of Services at Change Mental Health, said:

“Good mental health support starts early. That belief underpins everything we do.

“This year, we’ve continued to focus on helping people get the right support before things reach crisis point. By offering early, preventative support that is easy to access and centred around people’s own goals, we’re helping individuals to self-manage their mental health confidently, to live well and stay well in their communities.

“At its core, our aim is simple: to support people to feel connected, capable and supported in their everyday lives.

“This report shares the impact of that work over the past year. It reflects the dedication of our staff and partners, and the trust placed in us by the people we support. We’re proud of what’s been achieved together and we remain committed to building on this work in the year ahead.

“Together, we are building a future where early support, resilience and community connection are the norm, not the exception.”