That the Parliament considers that there is an urgent need to integrate mental health within Scotland’s HIV response, as highlighted by the recent HIV Outcomes UK report, Beyond the Virus: Prioritising mental health for people living with HIV in Scotland; acknowledges the report’s findings that there are significant gaps in mental healthcare provision for people living with HIV in Scotland, and the barriers that this creates towards achieving the Scottish Government’s 2030 goal to end new HIV transmissions; expresses concern regarding what the report refers to as the postcode lottery of mental health support, especially in rural and remote communities; commends the Scottish Government’s vision in its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy of a Scotland that is free from stigma and inequality, where everyone fulfils their right to achieve the best mental health and wellbeing possible, and calls on the Scottish Government to implement the report’s recommendations, including ensuring that HIV services across Scotland work to meet the British HIV Association Standards on psychological support for adults living with HIV, expanding HIV peer support services, and increasing training in healthcare settings to tackle HIV stigma, and further urges the Scottish Government to demonstrate the leadership and investment that it believes is necessary to ensure that all people living with HIV have consistent access to high-quality, stigma-free mental health support throughout Scotland.
Supported by:
Paul Sweeney, Evelyn Tweed