Press Release: for Immediate Use

SCOTTISH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH TO COME
UNDER MICROSCOPE AT CONFERENCE

Press release: For immediate use

THE shocking statistic that Scots with serious mental illness on average die 20 years earlier than the general population will be discussed tomorrow (Wednesday, 23 March) at a Health Inequalities conference in Glasgow.

Scottish mental health charities Bipolar Scotland and Support in Mind Scotland, in partnership with NHS Scotland, will welcome a range of speakers to the conference at Grand Central Hotel to explore the relationship between physical and mental health.

Alison Cairns, chief executive of Bipolar Scotland, said: “Our health service was set up to ensure that everyone has a chance to live their life to their full potential. That’s a wonderful ideal and we’re going to make sure that people who live with mental illness enjoy the same rights to a full and happy life as their fellow Scots.

“The conference on 23rd March is the first step towards fulfilling this goal. The level of interest in the conference fromboth people with lived experience and the professionals who work with them shows the shared will to make a difference.”

Frances Simpson, chief executive of Support in Mind Scotland, said: ““The underlying issue that prevents people with mental illness living healthier lives is the devastating inequalities that still consign many in our communities to lives of unemployment, homelessness and poverty.

“These problems hit people with mental illness disproportionately. Until we tackle these fundamental causes of ill-health, people will continue to die prematurely.”

The conference will bring together some of the country’s leading mental health professionals and practitioners, as well as a number of people with experience of living with mental ill health.

Speakers include Dr Alastair Cook, chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists; Professor Daniel Smith of the University of Glasgow; and Graham Morgan of the Mental Welfare Commission.

The event will also see the launch of Equally Fit – an innovative new project which will aim to help people with serious mental illness lead longer, happier and healthy lives.

The project has beenfunded by See Me, Scotland’s programme to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination, and follows the recent Rights for Life Declaration – a statement of therights being called for by people affected by mental health issuesin Scotland.

Michelle Howieson, a director of Bipolar Scotland who has herself experienced mental ill health, said: “As someone living with severe long term physical and mental illnesses I've become increasingly aware of the close link between them and the impact they can have on each other.

“I'm really hopeful that the Equally Fit project along with the Rights for Life Charter will help bring about the change needed to reduce the inequalities which currently exist between treatment of physical and mental ill-health."

ENDS

Notes for editors

A further press release will be issued on Wednesday, 23 March, with conference quotes and reaction to the launch of Equally Fit.

For further comment/information, contact:

Alison Cairns, Chief Executive, Bipolar Scotland: 07886 221785

Frances Simpson, Chief Executive, Support in Mind Scotland: 07951 066 228

Colin Leslie, Communications Manager, Support in Mind Scotland: 07739 216 453