As a coalition of leading providers of care and support to vulnerable children and young people, we welcome the consensus there is between the major political parties in the Scottish Parliament election to tackling the growing mental health crisis in our young people.
We have for some time raised concerns over a potential lost generation of vulnerable children and young people, whose mental health is being impacted even further by the Covid-19 pandemic.
The commitment by the political parties to focus on mental health, increasing investment in support services and intervention strategies, is therefore to be appreciated and must be a priority for the next parliament.
Our children are remarkably resilient, but the frightening statistics on the deteriorating mental health of many of them presents a compelling case for a national crusade to address what is a mental health pandemic, underpinned by considerably greater resourcing.
This mental health crisis is one we can address, but it will require a similar energy and commitment to that which was demonstrated for Covid-19 if we are to achieve this and prevent many young people giving up on their futures – and themselves.
