 Felly, wrth gwrs, rydyn ni'n gweithio i gael gael y swyddfaith cymdeithas ar gyfer bod y ffasig cymdeithas yn bwrdd yng nghymru aeth y hollwyrwyr campus. Y ddylanol yw'r busnes yw'r busnes cymdeithas yn ffosiwn 10009 yn y namei Paul Maclennan ar World Mental Health Day 2021, mental health enw yn y bwysig ddylen. Oes y debat wedi'i wneud o gael eich�커n am gyfer y ddodgol, ac rwy'n yn fwy o ddoedd gymryg o bryd cyddiolст y llyfr o phry 1939. Isch i gael. Rydw i gyd followers o ddull i top modifiedotd yn gwneud ei dis 급 lun ish. Metw hodd g annoyedd gan the raised to detaengorllaf ac yn sicr i t 날au ymddechreuinh youngestol dyming o heddiw yllyr marchOULD 2021, i d ducks panamech要m yn mewn croes ac i wyw pwynt yn osu The World Mental Health Day provides us an elected representative of the Parliament the opportunity to highlight the importance of and need for mental health education as well as raising awareness of the inequalities in our society and its implications for our mental health and wellbeing. In March 2020 we entered a global lockdown in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We are still experiencing these challenges today. y gwaith hwnnw i ddweud hynny yn ymwyaf i'w ffordd ar gyfer'i defnyddio'r gynlluniau i ymddangos. Felly rydyn ni'n fawr oedden nhw'n eu cyflwyffydd o'r pethau. Scythes yw'r cyffredinol yn edrych i gael i erbyn ynchydigol, yn ymgynghwyl, yn eich drws, yn fawr i'r cyffredinol. Ydwch chi'n i ddataeth wedi ddweud o'r cyfreidiau yn gyfleidio'r cyfreidiau byddai gynhau gwahaniaeth i gael tynnu ei wneud cael ei gallu teulu i ei weldgfyrwyd. Gendithiau yn lleol, eich teulu, ac mae'r bodgyrchu o'r gwahaniaeth oeddol o'r gyflugwladau mae'n gallu cyllidigau sydd gyda gweithredu o'r cyfrifodau a'ch cymaintau gwahaniaeth sydd gyda'r cyfrifodau o'r erbyn o'r cyfrifodau sydd gyda'r cyfrifodau, sefydlu Gymraeg, sydd cyfrifodau yn gynhyweiddiol a'u llehosidau cyflugwadau pecaw. I my constituency, and I have heard from people who have had a hard time. I listened to what happened between man club and Dunbar, and I was free to attend mental health support group for men. I attended their men support meetings where I heard the experiences of other men, and how Covid has impacted their mental health. It gave me an opportunity to pause and open up about my mental health, and I find that incredibly ychydig iaeth o'r cael ei ddim yn iawn cyfrifiadau. Felly mae'n ddod i sut mae'r peisiwys yn rhan feddwl i'r cyfrifiadau i'r gwleidudeb ychydig, ond mae'n wedi gweithio arddangos. Ar fy ysbytyd, yn yr eich bod yn ddiwedd aeth sydd wedi cyfosio ar gweithwyr, rydyn ni wedi cefnod bod ei gweithio. Felly mae'n arbennig hir ymddangos cyfrifiadau hefyd ar gyfer gael efyddennau mewn hefyd a eu lleoladau iawn i'r cyllidau ar y cyfrifodol yn ei gwaith. C練 ar gyfer y sydd o'r cyfrifodol yw ymlaen i'r cyfflygiadau a maen nhw'n fwy fain? Felly mae gafodd ei geiniadau o fwy hwy ac y gallwn gwath ei gwrdd iawn i'r cyfrifodol yn ei gwaith. Eryddiadau a'i gwcail sydd hwnnw i'r cyfrifodol yn ei gwaith, yn ei gwasanaeth yn ei gwasanaeth, yn ei gwasanaeth o'r gwaith i'r cyfrifodol yn ei gwasanaeth sydd a'r cyfrifodol yn eu gwaith. of a person experiencing poor mental health wellbeing and mental health was partly linked to their socio-economic status. During the pandemic, those from a lower social economic group have consistently reported higher rates of depression and suicidal thoughts compared to those from the higher group. It is no surprise that the adults living in the most deprived areas in Scotland are approximately twice as likely to have mental health problems as those in least deprived areas. That means, in my constituency, that people who live in the areas of Trenant and Preston Pans that are amongst the most 10 per cent most deprived in Scotland are up to twice as likely to have mental health problems than those who live in the most affluent areas of, say, for example, North Berwick. In preparing for this debate, it has clear mental health impacts on all of us in many, many ways and in many spheres of life. I want to give a few examples. The RNIB in its briefing for this debate stated that a sight loss diagnosis can have a serious impact on a person's emotional wellbeing. There is a link between sight loss and higher rates of depression and anxiety. Iclinic liaison officers, counselling services and support groups can all help someone with sight loss to come to terms with their diagnosis. Up to 40,000 people a year are impacted. The CITB in its briefing mentioned that it showed 11 per cent of in-work suicides happen in the construction sector, which employs 7 per cent of the UK workforce. The risk of suicide among some site-based male construction workers was three times the national average, and skilled finishing trades such as painters and plasterers were twice the national average. 26 per cent of construction workers who responded to a survey in 2020 had experienced suicidal thoughts. 97 per cent had experienced stress over that past year. Hospitality Scotland was also in touch with the wellbeing of hospitality workers. Hospitality is a sector just now with many workers and owners working extra shifts to keep businesses running. Others may have experienced reduced working hours as businesses offer a restricted service due to shortages. Custom expectations are still high and, like today, it is in everyone's interests to continue to be kind to each other. That is a direct quote from Hospitality Scotland. Prior to my election in May, I had discussions with the Royal College of Psychiatry on the Nation's mental health. I want to thank Aiden Reid for all his help and guidance both before and preparing for this debate. I have had several meetings with the Royal College and the Scottish mental health partnership since then. I very much stand by the philosophy of deeds, not words, when it comes to the response to mental health recovery, especially for those who are experiencing mental health inequalities. Last year, 18 per cent of people waited over 18 weeks for an appointment with psychological therapy with NHS London. 42 per cent of children and young people waited over 18 weeks for CAMHS treatment or support. We all know that we need to do better. Recovering our nation's mental health needs action. Actions are outlined in the Scottish Government's coronavirus Covid-19 mental health. Transition and recovery plan demonstrated with £120 million allocated for funding for the mental health recovery and renewal fund, which will recruit 800 additional mental health workers this year. We will ensure that by the end of this session, 10 per cent of all front-line NHS spend will go towards mental health improvement. Commitments such as that will help to shift the focus to prevention and early intervention, reducing demand and waiting times for clinical services, while addressing the evident mental health inequalities, by ensuring that the right mental health support is available to every Scott when he needs it, no matter where his post goes. Those are welcome steps in the right direction, but I am under no illusion that we can and we must do more. In my maiden speech, I made a pledge to be a champion of mental health. So long as I am an elected representative of this Parliament, I intend to be exactly that. Thank you, Ms McLennan. I now call Audrey Nicoll to be followed by Craig Hoy. Up to four minutes please, Ms Nicoll. Apologies. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I congratulate Paul McLennan for bringing this important motion forward today. I am really pleased to join colleagues across the chamber debating World Mental Health Day and within that mental health in an unequal world. I would like to thank all the organisations that provided members with briefings ahead of the debate, and I wish to acknowledge people here today in the chamber and beyond who have lived or living experience of compromised mental health. Thank you for listening. Earlier this week, I joined a SAMH briefing for North East MSPs, and while the focus of the briefing was suicide prevention, I had an overwhelming sense of deja vu, listening to the updated data on young people and suicide risk, albeit framed in the context of Covid-19. In their briefing paper on the impact of Covid-19 on 10 to 17-year-olds, Public Health Scotland outlined how loneliness has been an unintended consequence affecting young people, particularly vulnerable young people, with communication difficulties, young carers, those in the justice system and those who previously sought support because of mental health difficulties. Studies indicate that some young people who had poor mental health and wellbeing prior to the pandemic had better mental health during lockdown, possibly due to school closures and the removal of school-based pressures. However, young people with pre-existing mental health issues described many barriers to help-seeking, including not wanting to burden their families, feeling ashamed or feeling that they were not sufficiently unwell to seek help. The World Mental Health Foundation report, published to coincide with World Mental Health Day, states equality, fairness and opportunity must be central to developing our young people in order to address existing inequalities and their effects on young people's mental health wellbeing. World Mental Health Day 2021 provides an opportunity for us to consider how we might achieve that. The Minister for Mental Health, Wellbeing and Social Care recently outlined poverty as a single biggest driver of poor mental health. While we know that the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing structural inequality in our society, the adverse impacts on mental health have been felt disproportionately by disadvantaged groups. As Paul McLennan outlined, the Scottish Government has committed £120 million towards a mental health recovery and renewal fund, with £10.83 million allocated to help to improve access to child and adolescent mental health services. The World Mental Health Foundation report reminds us that Covid-19 has underscored how critical mental health and wellbeing are for all children and young people. However, the magnitude of the mental health burden that the world faces is simply not being matched by the response that it demands. This month, the foundation launches its state of the world's children report, and we will call on Governments to commit to increase investment in calm services, promote connection through evidence-based interventions and take a leading role in breaking the silence surrounding mental health. Let's make the 10 October World Mental Health Day the starting point for this. I very much hope to see you all there. I thank Paul McLennan for lodging that motion, enabling us to highlight the upcoming World Mental Health Day 2021. Almost each and every person in this chamber, or those who are watching at home, will have experienced soft mental health issues or will know someone who has suffered mental health problems. Experiencing a mental health problem is often upsetting, confusing and frightening, particularly at first and especially for the young. Those fears are often reinforced by the pernicious stigma surrounding mental health. Even though campaigns such as See Me have worked hard to eliminate stigma and discrimination against people with mental illness, research conducted by Sam H and the Mental Health Foundation found that 56 per cent of people experiencing mental health problems have also suffered discrimination. That, in turn, is likely to increase distress and a sense of isolation or even lead to suicide. In Scotland alone, 805 people took their own lives last year. Sadly, around one in four people in Scotland are estimated to be affected by mental health problems in any given year. Covid has made this worse, as the Royal College of Psychiatrists has noted that those with a pre-existing mental health condition have been the most adversely affected as to have been the most disadvantaged, as Paul McLennan has said. Sadly, the stark truth is that Scotland is currently experiencing a mental health emergency. For too many people, assessing psychological support through the NHS is simply too difficult or, as the Public Audit Committee found out this morning, too disconnected or too distant. Launching its new strategy, We Won't Wait, Sam H said that, after too many promises and the pandemic, people are being left behind. Rejected referrals, intermediate or indeterminate waiting times and inadequate support are sadly all now too common in the system. We know that, before the pandemic, SNP ministers had repeatedly failed to get a grip of the mental health crisis among young people. We must not let ministers dodge accountability for this. The problems that we see are not caused by Covid, although I recognise that they have been exacerbated by the crisis. Research produced by Mental Health Foundation Scotland reveals that lockdown and the closure of schools increase levels of distress and that many people suffered anxiety due to feelings of loneliness and worries about education and their own future. I am grateful to the number given we are and congratulate Paul McLennan on his debate and his speech. The member is making an excellent point about access to mental health services. Will he agree that we should also be concerned about those who love people who are suffering from mental illness? Sometimes the sense of helplessness can also be overwhelming as many members and family members will probably have discovered for themselves. Absolutely. Just last week, I was talking to the mother of a child in East Lothian, whose son had been thinking about suicide. She talked to me about her torment and the fight she now has to try to make sure that she gets him the treatment that he so clearly needs and that the system is not at that point giving him. Like too many SNP targets, the targets for mental health are being routinely missed. Almost one in four young people are rejected when they ask for help. In NHS Lothian, 37 per cent are not being seen within the 18-week treatment time target. In the Scottish Borders, the position is even worse at 46 per cent. Referral rates in Scotland have now reached their highest on record. One in every hundred children and young people are being referred to the child and adolescent mental health service for care. That is why SNP ministers must urgently ensure that the money that has been allocated to improve CAMH services, made available through the recovery and renewal fund, is delivered quickly. We all hope that the minister can elaborate on how that will be done. As Sam H said, the Government must expand the network of support, increase funding for community-based care and increase the NHS psychological workforce by 50 per cent so that it mirrors levels in England and Wales. Evidence shows that, with the right combination of self-care, treatment and support— Mr Hoyer, you bring your remarks to the conclusion, please. A person with mental health problems will get better, and that is why we urge that we need to get to a position, why no one is left behind and no one is left without the support when they need it. I now call Carol Mocken to be followed by Julian Mackay up to four minutes. I thank Paul McClellan for bringing this debate to the chamber. World Mental Health Day 2021 carries particular significance as people from nations across the globe have faced a pandemic, one that puts restrictions on our daily freedoms, limits our contact with friends, family and wider society, and continues to see many of us lose loved ones. Indeed, for our young people, this pandemic has been especially difficult having, for months at a time, been without the educational interactions that sustain so much of their daily life. Sam H highlighted that, and I quote, Covid led to a 55 per cent reduction in referrals to child and adolescent mental health services at a time when children and young people needed more support than ever. Indeed, it goes on to state that many children and young people feel they have been at a point of crisis before they seek help. We cannot stand by and watch as young people struggle. A functioning mental health service would actively offer help, being communities that educate people on signs of mental health difficulties and when to seek support. We must properly utilise the expertise of groups like Sam H, who know the struggles that many face and start dealing with the silent pandemic. As we come through the Covid pandemic here in Scotland and look towards recovery, we must be prepared to enhance mental health services with greater funding and resources as well. That starts with the creation of more posts to support those who are struggling with mental health problems. However, this is a global pandemic, and as the theme of this year's World Mental Health Day is mental health in an unequal world, the UK and Scottish Governments must be prepared to support other countries coming through the pandemic. That starts with supporting vaccination programmes across the globe and bringing as soon as possible an end to the pain that many continue to face on a daily basis. Although the UK may be making progress now, no country can expect to progress fully from the pandemic and the impacts it has, including on mental health, until every country has equal access to medical assistance. Health inequalities in Scotland predate the pandemic. The mental health crisis that I met with Sam H recently to discuss explained that it predates the pandemic. The failure to meet waiting times for adult psychological services and cancer services predates the pandemic. I know that the pandemic has exacerbated the problems that we collectively face, and I know that it has exploited global inequalities that we all must do more to address, but we do ourselves and our services no good if we pretend that those problems are new. The often alarming figures that are highlighted by mental health charities and organisations across Scotland of today's debate should be a wake-up call to ministers that there is no excuse for undervaluing and underfunding services, nor is there any excuse for not giving mental health policy the priority status it demands and deserves. Words do us no good when they are not backed up by action, and I do plead with the minister and the Government today to listen to the contributions of members, understand the figures and act, act to save lives and to improve services for those who desperately need it. Deputy Presiding Officer, I welcome World Mental Health Day, the awareness it raises and the focus it puts on education, understanding and the need for investment in services across the globe. We know that those living in deprived areas with less access to public services and facilities as well as outdoor green spaces are more likely to experience mental health illness, so it is crucial that in our endeavours we do all that we can to address health inequalities, whenever we find them and create a fairer mental health service that supports everyone who needs it. Scotland has a chance to lead the way, indeed it has the power to lead the way. Let us use World Mental Health Day 2021 to revisit strategy and deliver for the people the services that they so much need. Thank you. I now call Gillian Mackay to be followed by Beatrice Wishart. Up to four minutes, please, Ms Mackay. I welcome this debate in advance of World Mental Health Day and thank Paul MacLennan for bringing it forward. As the motion states that the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in mental health, we need to understand what is driving those inequalities or attempts to address poor mental health will be immediately undermined. Health and income are inextricably linked. According to the Mental Health Foundation, poverty is both a cause and consequence of mental ill health. Their report, Coronavirus, the divergence of mental health experiences during the pandemic, states that, already before the pandemic, those at the lower end of the economic ladder were more likely to be experiencing a mental health problem. We must acknowledge the impact poverty and income inequality has had on mental health during the pandemic. We know that Covid-19 has not affected everyone equally. The Tories cut to universal credit will seriously worsen matters. British psychological society has warned of devastating consequences for people's mental health. The impact on individuals and families who will struggle to pay their bills and be forced to make the awful choice between heating their home and buying food at a time when they are already dealing with rising living costs and the continued uncertainty of the pandemic will be immeasurable. The fact is that services will always struggle to meet demand while the Tories continue to enact policies that decimate people's mental health and income. A truly preventative approach would seek to tackle the link between poverty and poor mental health. The Mental Health Foundation is calling for a universal basic income pilot to be carried out in Scotland. The Scottish Greens have long supported the introduction of UBI in Scotland, and I have no doubt that this will be an important tool in our efforts to tackle Scotland's poor mental health. I know that the Scottish Government has committed to introducing a minimum income guarantee in the absence of powers to implement a UBI, and I look forward to proposals being brought. We must recognise, however, that many interlinking factors affect mental health, including racial inequality, gender, disability, age and sexuality, as well as economic status. I am grateful to the member for giving way. Does she also agree that loneliness is a modern-day plague and that that is a huge contributor to the mental health and wellbeing of people in our country? I think that that is a concern for particularly older people that we have seen during the pandemic who may have been isolated from friends and family because of wanting to keep them safe. Where was I? The report identified a need for better recording and reporting of information on ethnicity. Clearly, there is much work to be done in that regard. Wave 4 of the Scottish Government's Covid-19 mental health tracker survey revealed that only 20 people from an ethnic minority background took part. Only 16.5 per cent of those who engaged in wave 1. That is especially concerning, given that the wave 1 report revealed that respondents who identified as black, Asian and minority ethnic frequently reported worse mental health indicators. Quality data is vital if we are to understand and address the specific mental health challenges that people from ethnic minority backgrounds face. I look forward to hearing from the Scottish Government on how they will improve data collection. In closing, I would like to focus on the mental health of health and social care staff. They have been going at more than 100 miles an hour for almost 19 months now. Many are exhausted, demoralised and at increased risk of burnout. Yesterday, the Lanarkshire health board branch of Unison published a letter detailing how the current pressures in our NHS are affecting the mental and physical health of those on the front line in my region, but also more widely across the country. I therefore welcome the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport's announcement earlier this week of an additional package of £4 million to support front-line workers. When staff cannot access basic necessities such as food, water or rest during their shift, that will undoubtedly have an impact on their mental health. Staff have been under enormous pressure and have worked tirelessly in extremely difficult conditions to keep us safe. Now is not the time to turn our back on them and demand that they get on with the job. I look forward to working with members across the chamber to ensure that they get the support that they need and deserve. I now call Beatrice Wishart to be followed by Emma Harper up to four minutes. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you to Paul MacLennan for bringing that important date to the chamber today. This Sunday is World Mental Health Day, and it gives us the opportunity to reflect on the treatment of mental health and the availability of support out there. The theme of World Mental Health Day this year is mental health in an unequal world, and we must improve mental health treatment the world over. We must also improve parity of mental health care and physical health care the world over. In Scotland alone, there is statistic after statistic that proves more must be done, but every statistic is someone's life and a person's mental health has an impact on family, friends and others around them. The Covid-19 crisis has disproportionately affected some groups more than others, carers, those part of the LGBT plus community, refugees, migrant workers and young people, but even before Covid mental health issues were prevalent in these groups and others. Like construction, as the CITV briefing advised us, with 7 per cent of the UK workforce and 11 per cent of in-work suicides, suicide risk among some site-based male construction workers was three times the national average. We will continue to see the impact on mental health due to Covid. In February this year, Scottish Liberal Democrats led the Scottish Parliament in declaring a mental health crisis. People are struggling, and when they seek help it is often not there. Problems that can start small become crises as help is either not available or arrives too late. I believe that there is a range of things that can be brought in now that we can start to introduce and build on into the future. We can act now to expand services, train more mental health specialists for community services, hospitals and schools, establish new walk-in services at A&E and crisis centres, get mental health first aiders into workplaces. We can work together to end long waits for diagnosis and treatment, create more services closer to where people live, something that is more difficult in rural and island areas. Where communities are more spread out, loneliness and isolation can often take hold more easily, and in spread out communities, access to mental health services is simply tougher. No one should be left to struggle in silence. No service should require endless hoops to access. A first hope that may leave people to stop seeking help is of no use. Years of working hours are lost to mental ill health, and it is long past time to end stigma and discrimination around mental ill health. I am full of admiration for the Shetland youth group, Chillax, who pre-Covid voluntarily started a self-help group to raise awareness of mental health, and they developed workshops for schools and youth clubs. Pandemic restrictions only make us more vulnerable and highlighted the issue. As a co-convener of the cross-party group on mental health, I look forward to the work of the group and developing ideas and strategies to reduce suffering. Just maybe that will help to reduce statistics, and just maybe it will be a large positive impact, even on one person, their family, friends and support network. Emma Harper is to be followed by Monica Lennon. Monica Lennon will be the last speaker in the open debate. Up to four minutes, please, Ms Harper. As co-convener of the mental health cross-party group with Beatrice Wishart, who is in chamber today, and our cross-party group is supported by Sam H, I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate and congratulate my colleague Paul MacLennan in securing it. World Mental Health Day on October 10 this year focuses on the theme of mental health in an unequal world. It is hugely important to ensure that mental health is on the national agenda. It is also crucial in working to tackle stigma associated with mental health and in providing education. Indeed, we need to remind people that it is okay not to be okay and seek help and support. Covid-19 has changed all aspects of our lives. However, it has also brought people and communities closer together. It has allowed a greater emphasis on supporting local business, on helping one another and on the importance of kindness. Being patient and kind is really important. The pandemic has allowed a far greater understanding of the need to take mental health seriously and of having a society that puts the wellbeing of its citizens first and foremost. Supporting the mental health of our front-line health and social care staff is an issue that I have been pursuing over the course of the pandemic. Being a member of the NHS on Frees and Galloway's vaccination team has allowed me to hear directly from the front line of staff and the public about the very real challenges that everyone is facing. I am pleased that, since the beginning of the pandemic, the Scottish Government has provided more than £18 million, which has included support for NHS workers through £1.2 million for computerised cognitive behavioural therapy. I encourage the minister to ensure that those services continue to be available and are expanded on the as-need basis if that is required. Across my South Scotland region and nationally, there are many examples of fantastic hard-working groups dedicated to supporting all those who are concerned about their mental health. I have worked with many mental health organisations to promote the importance of positive health and wellbeing. Those include rural and agricultural Scotland, the Scottish Young Farmers, the Frees and Galloway Farmers Choir and the SAMH as well as support in mind Scotland and the Scottish Mental Health Partnership. All provide support to anyone concerned about their mental health and wellbeing, including for people affected by inequality. I do not really have time, because I want to proceed, because I have a couple of important points. I want to thank each and every one of the charities that I have just mentioned for all the work that they continue to do, particularly under those circumstances. The impact of the pandemic on mental health has been highlighted well, and the Scottish Government's mental health tracker study has got some interesting information in it. The report indicates that over a third of the sample reported high levels of psychological distress and a quarter reported levels of depressive symptoms and the earlier fifth reported anxiety symptoms of a similar level. Approximately one tenth of the sample reported having suicidal thoughts in the past week, with one fifth of young adults reporting suicidal thoughts. The report suggests that particular groups in our population were at elevated risk. Women, young adults, people with pre-existent mental health conditions and individuals on a lower socioeconomic background. Finally, Presiding Officer, I would like to raise awareness of the Hello Yellow campaign. Thousands of people in schools and offices communities across Scotland, including in the Frees and Galloway, will be wearing yellow on Friday to raise awareness of the work of young minds and child and adolescent mental health services who are fighting for young people's mental health needs. I congratulate them and I encourage all to consider participating in the Hello Yellow campaign. Hashtag Hello Yellow to raise awareness of mental health issues. Finally, Presiding Officer, I want to again welcome this debate and remind all that it is okay not to be okay and support and help is out there. I now call Monica Lennon. Up to four minutes, please, Ms Lennon. Thank you, Presiding Officer. I believe that this is Paul McCleannan's first member's debate, so I want to congratulate him on choosing such an important topic and to thank him for his commitment to being a mental health champion. Really, that is a call to action to all of us, that we all have to be champions of mental wellbeing. That brings me to the minister who I want to welcome to his post, because his new role as the minister for mental wellbeing and social care is a really, really important job. I am sure that the minister is telling colleagues across Government that they all have to be part of the solution, but when we think about this pandemic and the impact on workforce and social care and across the NHS, I am really concerned about levels of PTSD among our front-line staff. I worry about those on low pay, those who are the unpaid carers, the women who do the burden of the caring work, but I think that the minister will be well placed to look at what has happened to older people and disabled people during this pandemic and to make sure that we address that isolation. So many colleagues today have acknowledged that that is why Anzlo is so important and is very relevant to mental health. Colleagues have talked about the fact that we all have mental health and we all have to be champions in this place. I continue to be concerned about what appears at times to be endless waiting times, the warning statistics around rejected referrals and people speaking out and saying that they are not okay but not really sure where to turn. At the weekend, we were fortunate to meet local heroes from across Scotland who are doing their bit in their communities to show that kindness, to provide that cup of tea, to provide an open door to people, but we have to recognise that despite all the good work and the good effort from ministers and many across the public sector and the private sector, the system is still not quite right. We need to see system change. That is why I am very passionate about supporting my constituent from Central Scotland, Karen McEwen, who has got an excellent petition in front of the citizens participation and public petitions committee. Members including Tess White from the Conservatives spoke very strongly in support of that. We have an opportunity to listen to people with lived experience because they know the change that needs to happen. I was pleased to hear many colleagues mention construction as the continuing convener of the construction cross-party group. That is an area that we want to look at. Paul MacLennan and I will take that away and hopefully the minister can come along to future meetings. I know from his previous work in local government and building standards that he has a keen interest. I also have a lot of empathy for people who are affected by alcohol and drug misuse and how that intersects with mental health and wellbeing. As someone in my teens and early twenties, I have had to reach out for help myself and had counselling. I worry about young people who have had to be at home in the pandemic and not in school when there have been substance misuse in the home. I would be keen to hear from the minister what more can be done to support those young people and their families. I know that many stakeholders have sent briefings and they have all made really important points. The Scottish mental health partnership is looking for a radical refresh of the mental health strategy. That is why Karen McEwen's petition is really important. I end with an invitation to colleagues and anyone who is listening to join me and Clare Adamson MSP and others who will be at Stratford Clyde Park on Sunday. Farms are hosting a Let's Walk and Talk about mental health event. The minister would be very welcome, but that is a very public way for us all to show that we are all human. We all have mental health. If we continue to talk about it openly, we can address stigma and get that system change. I now call on Kevin Stewart Minister to respond to the debate on part of the Scottish Government up to seven minutes, please minister. Thank you very much, Presiding Officer, and I congratulate Paul MacLennan on bringing this debate to the chamber. I am pleased to close for the Government. I want to touch upon, before I get into all that has been said in this debate, the two of the points that Mr MacLennan made are extremely important. The first one is to be kind to each other. In this world, sometimes we are not, and we do not know if folk are okay. Let's think twice before we use harsh language and let's be as kind to one another as we possibly can. I know that that is sometimes a difficult thing to achieve in this chamber. The other thing that struck me is that Paul MacLennan said that he was going to be a champion of mental health in this Parliament. I congratulate him for that, but I think that we all need to be champions of mental health each and every day. It is important to continue to see world mental health day being marked each year, and I welcome the passion shown across the chamber today. I thank colleagues for sharing their personal stories and speaking so passionately on this topic. Sunday, I am afraid that I cannot come to Strathclyde Country Park, but thank you for the invitation, Ms Lennon. Instead, I will be speaking at a conference, a mental health conference at St Myrran, which I am sure Mr Paisley and George Adam will be happy to hear. I want to commend the fantastic work of our NHS services, the third sector and their staff. They have continued to do an incredible job over the last year and a half. I have had the privilege of meeting many front-line staff and those with lived experience since I took up post, and I will be doing more of that as I leave the chamber this afternoon. I am very impressed and grateful for the sheer resilience and dedication that they have shown over the most trying times. I know that some fault within the workforce is struggling, and that is why it is important that we recognise their needs, too. That is why the additional investment that Gillian Mackay mentioned that Humza Yousaf announced earlier on this week for the mental health wellbeing hub and the other supports for staff are so important. I will give way briefly to Mr Hoy. Could he say perhaps how he intends to train and recruit more psychiatrists into the NHS to relieve that pressure on staff? Mr Hoy, for that intervention, because he talked about workforce, which I thought was very interesting and I am more than happy to discuss numbers with him in terms of workforce. Let me give you an idea of the workforce situation here. CAMHS staffing is up 81 per cent in Scotland since 2006. The psychology workforce has increased by 110 per cent since that year, with a 3.3 per cent increase over the last year. In adult acute, we have 56 whole-time equivalent per 100,000 here in Scotland versus 40 whole-time equivalent in the UK average. I would dispute some of the things that Mr Hoy said about workforce. However, let me turn to the point about workforce for the future, because we have seen that great increase, but we all know that there is more to do. That is why workforce planning for the future is absolutely essential. It is one of the key priorities that I have to ensure that we get that right as we move forward, because we have an increase in those presenting with mental health problems. Sometimes we think that that is a bad thing, but that is a good thing, because far too long folks have kept things to themselves, and what we need to do is to encourage people to come forward for the help and treatment that is available. If I could go back to the point that I was going to make, the past year and a half has been tough for everyone in Scotland, and the impacts of the pandemic continue to bring significant challenge to our everyday lives. We know that the pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing inequalities in our society, hitting some population groups disproportionately hard. Recognising that, we published our transition and recovery plan last October, which set out a blueprint for improving mental health across the country. We need to continue to expand on that plan, because, as Gillian Mackay again pointed out, there is some data that we are missing. As Beatrice Wishart mentioned, there are some groups that we are not getting the data for in order to shape the services that are needed and required. LGBTI communities were mentioned, folks from ethnic minorities were mentioned, and we need to do more work there, and we will do so. I will give way very briefly to Mr Kerr. I am grateful to the Minister for Giving Way. Paul McLean gave an excellent speech this afternoon. He highlighted the length of time that people have to wait. The minister is also explaining that the pandemic has made the situation worse. What is the aspiration that he has in terms of waiting times? Our constituents have so many heartbreaking stories. We hear them all, and all of us hear them. What is his aspiration in terms of waiting times? It is great for young people to get mental health. That was rather a long intervention. Mr Kerr had the opportunity, like everyone else, to give a speech today, but he has chosen interventions only, which is quite surprising. My aspiration is to bring waiting times down as quickly as we possibly can. Boards are putting together plans to ensure that waiting times come down. However, one of the key things that we need to do is to stop folk being referred in the first place. That means investment in services at a community level, in our schools and in our GPs. That is why the Government has resourced school councillors, for example, which is extremely important. It is why we are moving forward in investing in mental health link workers in our GP practices. It is why, very soon, we will make further announcements about community support. We will continue to look at that prevention agenda because prevention is better than cure. That is not to say that we will continue to invest in CAMHS and in psychological therapy scenarios 2. We have already provided £45 million to NHS boards to focus on CAMHS improvement and to help to clear waiting lists. We are also providing funding for around 320 additional staff in CAMHS over the next five years. We want to build on the innovative changes that have been made to services and some of that innovation coming over the pandemic period. We want to ensure, as Emma Harper says, that we can continue to invest in things such as cognitive behavioural therapy, which are very important for some folks. Our £50 million investment in children and young people's community wellbeing this year has delivered over 200 new and enhanced services. I look forward to sharing details of equivalent support for adults. It is challenge poverty week and it is important to recognise that poverty is the single biggest driver of poor mental health, as Audrey Nicholl said. I will continue to say that because that is the reality. Minister, are we bringing our remarks to a close? I will. Therefore, we are continuing to strengthen alignment of mental health policy with work to tackle poverty and reduce inequality. I have highlighted some of the work that is happening from government at this moment. I have highlighted some of the cross-government work that is going on. We all have a part to play in reducing inequalities, reducing stigma and ensuring that the right help is available in the right place at the right time. I would like to thank Paul MacLennan again for securing this debate today. I hope that everyone in the chamber will become mental health champions as we move forward. The minister, in congruously, started off talking about how we should be nice to each other and then made a comment about my contribution to the debate. Will you confirm that it is absolutely in order for a member to attend a debate and to make interventions? It is entirely up to the speakers whether or not they take the interventions. Can you confirm that it is absolutely in order to do that? I am not responsible for what members say in their contributions, including ministers. Secondly, it is up to members whether or not they take interventions and it is up to members whether or not they wish to put themselves forward to speak. That is quite clear from the rules. If that deals with that matter, I can proceed to conclude this debate and suspend proceedings until 2.30 this afternoon.