Lee Knifton is Director of Mental Health Foundation (Scotland and Northern Ireland)

TODAY is World Mental Health Day and its theme is "make mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority".

We all have mental health, but mental ill-health is not equally distributed across the population of Scotland. People who face the most significant disadvantages in life also face the greatest risks to their mental health. This unequal distribution of risk is what we call mental health inequalities. We need Government action to address inequality and give people the best opportunity to thrive and live mentally healthy lives.

The links between social and economic inequality and poor mental health are well evidenced. Policy decisions that fuel inequality rather than reduce it are a driver of poor mental health. They are felt most harshly by the poorest among us.

In the past 15 years our communities have been dealt blow after blow; recession, austerity, the pandemic, inflation, and the cost of living crisis. In each case it is those with the least who have suffered the most, leading to many people also suffering from debilitating anxiety, stress and depression among other mental health problems.

Governments and those who control public finances are in the position to help to prevent mental health problems by ensuring that everyone has enough money, good housing, and well-equipped communities with opportunities for jobs, education, health care and leisure.

However, instead of addressing the structural causes of the burgeoning mental health emergency, historically, solutions have been more focused on treatment and services. While emergency supports must be available, we cannot treat our way out of the mental health crisis. We need to focus on prevention of poor mental health and supporting everyone to live well.

There are clear actions the Scottish Government can take to reduce mental health inequalities and it must include actions in all government departments, not only health. Providing people at risk of poverty with an adequate income is fundamental, as is ensuring that people have safe, warm homes, and communities that are equipped with all they need including educational, health and leisure facilities.

Alongside this, the Scottish Government can ensure that public services are anti-racist and delivered in a way that does not add to experiences of trauma. It can expand support for community organisations to provide space and support for people’s mental health. It can do more to prevent gender-based violence and ensure that mental health supports are offered in ways that are sensitive to gender, gender identity and sexual orientation.

Our call is not idealistic. There is not only a moral case to answer but an economic one. Our research shows that the cost of poor mental health to the UK is £118 billion annually – a figure taken from pre-pandemic and pre-cost of living crisis data. We can’t afford to delay; we must act now.

Public mental health is a key indicator of the efficacy of government, and it’s time those in power demonstrate that they understand its importance to everyone.

To find out more about Mental Health Foundation’s work to prevent poor mental health visit mentalhealth.org.uk.