POLISH people are more likely to take their own lives than native Scots, according to "alarming" new figures which have sparked concern about the stigma of mental health problems within the country's largest immigrant community.
Now a project funded by See Me, Scotland's national programme to end mental health discrimination, will tackle the high suicide rates among the country's Polish residents.
According to the latest statistics, there are 20 deaths per 100,000 in the Polish community, compared with 14 per 100,000 for the rest of Scotland.
To change this the project is looking to address the stigma of speaking about mental health problems in the Polish community as well as among others in Scotland.
The Look Around project is run by the Feniks charity and will help to provide support to members of the Polish community in Edinburgh in the first instance.
Barbara Wesolowska, from Feniks, said: "We believe that the project will have a big impact on Polish community in Edinburgh and will help to tackle stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health issues."
The project is looking to tackle a number of issues which could be contributing to the high suicide rate, including social isolation, difficulties with employability, a language barrier and misunderstanding of the country's health care system.
However those behind the scheme also believe that the stigma and discrimination associated with mental illness means that many in the community are not seeking support.
To combat this Look Around will train community champions who will be active among the Polish community, to identify, support and signpost people in need, towards the relevant help.
The champions will run workshops covering mental health discrimination, how to listen and talk to people who need support, how the healthcare system operates in Scotland and suicide prevention.
Ms Wesolowska said: "The workshops are in Polish so there are no language barriers.
"However many of the community champions speak fluent English, so they can raise awareness of mental health in both languages."
The project is funded by See Me's Community Innovation Fund, which supports projects to tackle stigma in workplaces, in health and social care, with children and young people, in minority groups and in the general public.
Judith Robertson, See Me programme director, said: "We are building a movement to end mental health stigma and discrimination, and to do this we want to bring people together from all societies in Scotland.
"Stigma and discrimination can make people who are mentally unwell feel worse. It can stop them asking for help and ultimately could be the difference between life and death.
"This project is looking to open up conversations around mental health to reduce stigma, helping people to seek help."
The Polish community in Scotland numbers 55,000, according to the 2011 census.
Feniks said that the aim of the project is to "help those individuals living away from their homeland in facing the challenges which result from immigration".
"Difficulties may arise in one's work or personal life which necessitate contact with a therapist, and some deeper psychological disorders may surface which require that contact on a longer term basis."
The campaigners are calling for ideas from groups who may be eligible to receive funding.
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