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Teachers, youth workers and church leaders should be given first-aid training in mental health issues in a bid to improve support for young people, according to the director of the Mental Welfare Commission for Scotland.


Donald Lyons, speaking after the recent suicides of four men in Dundee, said more people should be trained to understand how to pick up on emotional distress and guide people towards professional help. He said that rolling out mental health first-aid training, which has been completed by 28,000 people since its launch in Scotland in 2004, could identify more young people in need of help.

Lyons said: “There has been a drive to have availability of services for young people to make sure they are seen and assessed by appropriate mental health expert and offered ongoing support and follow-up.”