Introduction

SDC’s work on mental health improvement is founded on knowledge of research and practice in this area. Central to SDC’s approach to mental health improvement is a recognition of the interaction and mutual influence between the different levels of individual, community and society. Evidence of what works to improve mental health supports the use of interventions that operate at more than one level.

This reinforces the importance of structures such as schools, workplaces, local communities as arenas in which multi-level interventions can be delivered.

It is not sufficient to focus attention at individual level only (for example, through efforts to develop skills or build confidence), without also addressing the interface between the individual and wider societal structures (for example, to reduce barriers that impede access to learning or employment).

SDC has developed an extensive range of work with a focus on mental health improvement, in a range of settings and with different population groups, including:

• contributing to and influencing debates about the future direction of mental health improvement in Scotland and beyond
  
  
• expanding and building the capacity of the mental health improvement field and communities of interest
  
  
• developing and supporting effective delivery of mental health improvement interventions

Influencing the future direction of mental health improvement

• The preparation of a briefing for CHPs on the promotion of mental health and the prevention of mental ill health
  
  
• Promoting understanding of mental health inequalities through a national conference and subsequent resource paper, Equal Minds
  
  
• A feasibility study on social prescribing / community referrals
  
  
• Recent work on Wellbeing at Work for the European Commission

examples of SDC projects

Mental Health Improvement: Evaluation Guides

SDC was commissioned by NHS Health Scotland to write four evaluation guides which aim to encourage, support and improve standards in the evaluation of mental health improvement initiatives

Guide 1: Evidence Based Practice

Guide 2: Measuring Success

Guide 3: Getting Results

Guide 4: Making an Impact

SDC Mental Health Improvement Network

SDC has recently established a Mental Health Improvement Network to enable people who have an interest in this field to take part in discussion and debate on key current issues, exchange information and to strengthen the development of policy, practice and research.

The Network will create a community of interest to promote, strengthen and support mental health improvement work in Scotland.

Building capacity

• Research and development work on community well-being, including support for practice development and evaluation of four exemplar projects as reported in Small Change, Big Impact (2006)
  
  
• The development of Guides to evidence based practice in mental health improvement
  
  
• An extensive programme of training (introduction to mental health improvement and the evidence to support it, evaluating mental health improvement and train the trainers) across all areas in Scotland.

Supporting practice

• A range of pieces of work within SDC’s Children and Young Adults Programme and under HeadsUp Scotland that focus specifically on mental health improvement with this population e.g.
  
  
• Supporting the implementation of ‘the Mental Health of Children and Young People - A Framework for Promotion Prevention and Care’, with its central focus on the role of childrens’ services in promoting emotional health and wellbeing
  
  
• The Playfield Institute Toolkit which supports staff to help promote the emotional health and wellbeing of the children and young people they work with
  
  
• Researching and collating Case Studies of Good Practice in mental health improvement across Scotland, which feature examples of work in a range of settings and with different age groups