The professional body representing Scotland’s 1,500 psychiatrists says the nation is facing a mental health emergency with cases more than doubling while the psychiatric workforce has reduced by almost a quarter.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists in Scotland (RCPsych) is today publishing a manifesto ahead of the 2026 Scottish parliamentary elections calling for the government and all Holyrood candidates to support a statutory commitment that at least 10% of NHS spending should go on mental health services.

The document, Awareness, action, accountability: tackling Scotland’s mental health emergency, says the percentage of people reporting mental health conditions more than doubled in Scotland – and increased six-fold in young people – between the censuses of 2011 and 2022.

Over a similar timescale, the number of permanent general psychiatry consultants fell by 22% between 2014 and 2024, with one in four positions now either vacant or filled by locums.

The College says that in 2022/23, none of Scotland’s NHS boards met the 10% mental health spending promise made by all parties ahead of the last election, with the total mental health spend across Scotland instead representing 8.53% of the total.

The document suggests that, had the 10% threshold been met, £238.5m more would have been spent on staff, acute beds and crisis and outreach services.

RCPsych in Scotland chair, Dr Jane Morris says that, while the warnings are not new, the urgency of the situation has now reached crisis point:

"We’ve known for some time that Scotland is facing a mental health emergency and it’s clear that leadership and urgent action is needed.

“With our manifesto, we want to give a voice to some of the most vulnerable members of society and help transform the crisis we now find ourselves in.

“Ahead of the next election we’re calling on all political parties to take bold action, honest accountability and make real investment – not just more promises.

“It’s a passionate plea to politicians and to all who vote for them, at a time of both crisis and opportunity.”

The manifesto sets out the current situation and calls for:

• A fully funded national strategy to halve the mortality gap – the reduction in life expectancy for people with a severe mental illness and learning disabilities compared to others – by 2050;
• A legal mechanism to require at least 10% of the NHS budget to be dedicated to adult mental health and 1% to children’s mental health services to improve access and provide better services for patients;
• A national, funded plan for those with neurodivergent conditions such as autism and ADHD so people can access the right help without having to be on a long waiting list;
• The next Scottish government to lead Scotland out of the mental health emergency and to take action to reduce factors known to impact people’s mental health.

Read more: Longest NHS waits a funding priority, says government; Call for ‘urgent’ review of ADHD and autism services; CAMHS target met, but long waits remain; Depression linked to poorer physical health outcomes.

Sign up to our bulletin for key health & social care updates straight to your inbox.