I start by thanking the petitioner, Marion Brown, who submitted the petition on behalf of Recovery and Renewal.
Prescribed drug dependence and withdrawal is an important issue, and that is, as the convener said, demonstrated by the level of response to the petition. I am grateful to those who have taken the time to share their personal experiences, many of which I have also read. Psychological therapies have an important role to play in helping people who have mental health problems, who should have access to effective physical and psychological treatment, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the issue in more detail.
The Scottish Government will continue to emphasise the importance of parity in physical and mental health services. People who have a mental illness should expect the same standard of care as people who have a physical illness, and they should receive medication if they need it, just as someone should receive medication for a physical illness.
The Scottish Government has worked hard with partner organisations to reduce the stigma that is faced by people who have mental health problems, and that has been reflected in the rise in demand for mental health services across Scotland. As the stigma declines, we see more people coming forward to seek help from their GPs for problems such as depression. As a consequence, more people have been prescribed antidepressants, but that has been accompanied by better diagnosis and treatment of depression by GPs.
The responses to the petition highlight the issue of appropriate prescribing. As far as guidance on the prescribing of mental health drugs in Scotland is concerned, the SIGN guidelines provide evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the NHS in Scotland. SIGN guidelines are designed to bring new knowledge into action to meet our aim of reducing variations in practice and improving outcomes. They are produced in collaboration with patients, carers and members of the public. SIGN guideline 114, which is on non-pharmaceutical therapies, encompasses psychological therapies, structured exercise and lifestyle interventions, and a range of alternative and complementary treatments in the management of depression.
Prescribing often involves not just drugs. Although we will ensure that people who need medication will continue to receive it, we are committed to improving access to psychological therapies that increase choice and best accommodate patient preference. As part of our 10-year strategy, we are taking a range of actions to transform mental health services in Scotland to respond to that need. Those actions include work to improve access to services, the development of new models of care within primary health services and a national roll-out of cognitive behavioural therapy, as well as the development of interventions for people in crisis through the distress brief intervention pilots that are being funded across Scotland.
Furthermore, although medical student teaching now emphasises that medication has an important place in treatment, it should not be overused or continued indefinitely, and decisions should always involve the patient so that they understand the potential benefits and risks of deciding to take medication. That process needs to take place within an enabling environment, in which support and a range of information sources are readily accessible to patients.
Our guiding ambition for mental health—that we must prevent and treat mental health problems with the same commitment, passion and drive with which we treat physical health problems—is simple but, if it is realised, it will change and save lives. We want to create a Scotland in which all stigma and discrimination related to mental health is challenged, and our collective understanding of how to prevent and treat mental health problems is increased. We want our nation to be one in which mental healthcare is person centred and recognises the life-changing benefits of fast and effective treatment.
I am happy to answer questions.