Launching our interim report on early intervention and prevention at Scottish Parliament
We launched our interim report on discovering what is best practice for early intervention and prevention in mental health and mental illness at a Scottish Parliament reception.
The new interim report ‘Cross-sector Early Intervention and prevention in Rural Mental Health’ creates a research evidence base, informing how early intervention and prevention can have a positive effect at every age and stage of life. Evidence from people with lived experience, and those who care for them and work in support of them, demonstrates the benefits experienced by individuals, families, workplaces and communities. The report looks at how we can improve early intervention and prevention through cross-sector working.
Change Mental Health is exploring the topic with support from Scottish Government’s Mental Health Division, with assistance from experts in mental health research, delivery partners and stakeholders. Evidence derives from our Ages & Stages event, service evaluation outcomes, one-to-one interviews and existing research.
The report explores early intervention and prevention, along with interim findings and recommendations, with a full report due to be released in Spring 2025.
Parliamentary reception
We were delighted to start proceedings on the night with an introductory speech from Paul Sweeney MSP, before launching into speeches by Greg May, Chair of the Board at Change Mental Health, and Nick Ward, CEO at Change Mental Health. Maree Todd MSP, Minister for Social Care, Mental Wellbeing and Sport, welcomed the report’s findings and the contributions Change Mental Health is making towards recommending best practice and creating a solid evidence base for early intervention and prevention in mental health and mental illness.
“The interim report highlights some of the great work that we have been doing to identify best practice in early intervention and prevention in rural areas across Scotland. Rural and remote communities face particular struggles in accessing services: remote locations, increased stigma, high levels of rural poverty – as the biggest mental health provider in Highland, we know this only too well.
“Too often those providing vital preventative support are isolated from each other and too often the people who want to deliver early intervention and prevention activities feel like they are having to do it on their own. Every time a service starts it can feel like they are having to reinvent the wheel. That’s why this report and work is so vital.”
Nick Ward, CEO at Change Mental Health
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