Born in 1946 and brought up in Cupar, Fife, I was educated at the local school - 
Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has given his backing to Mental Health Action Week, which runs from 16th – 23rd April.
Commenting on the initiative, Mr Stevenson said:
“Mental Health Action Week is an annual health campaign that has been running since the 1950s and it is aimed at raising awareness of mental health problems and encouraging people to look after their own mental health.
“Around one in ten people is likely to have a disabling anxiety disorder at some stage in their life and an estimated one person in ten has some form of depression at any one time, with it being most common in people aged 25 to 44. In addition, it is estimated that one in 20 people will have serious - or clinical - depression at any one time and by the year 2020, it has been estimated that clinical depression will be second only to chronic heart disease as an international health burden. This is measured by its cause of death, disability, incapacity to work and the medical resources it uses.
“The Mental Health Foundation is a leading UK charity working to improve services for people with mental health problems and those with learning disabilities. Its work includes allocating grants for research and community projects, contributing to the public debate, educating policy makers and healthcare professionals, and striving to reduce the stigma attached to mental illness and learning disabilities. For those wishing to find out more they should contact: Mental Health Foundation, Scotland Office, Merchants House, 30 George Square, Glasgow G2 1EG, Email: scotland@mhf.org.uk or tel: 0141 572 0125.”
