Get involved in the 2026 Scottish Parliament election
Ahead of the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 7 May 2026, we are campaigning to ensure that mental health is high on the agenda of the next Scottish Parliament, and that the next Scottish Government and Parliament act to end Scotland’s mental health crisis. But we need your help.
Show Up with SAMH
We have launched our Show Up campaign, focused on one of our core manifesto asks.
Did you know that people with mental illness die on average 15 years earlier than the general population because of physical ill-health and preventable diseases which are routinely overlooked or dismissed?
This injustice needs to end.
In the run-up to the Scottish Parliament election, we’re calling on candidates to support our call for urgent action to ensure people with mental illness are not dying because of a healthcare system that too often discriminates against them.
Are you with us?
Scotland needs to Show Up for people with mental illness.
You can support the campaign by sending an email to your election candidates backing our calls to reduce the life expectancy gap between people living with mental illness and people without by at least 10% by 2034 and by 25% by 2046, through:
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annual physical health checks designed specifically to catch those issues which are regularly missed
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improved access to tailored healthy lifestyle programmes
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action to reduce the disproportionate number of people with mental illness living in poverty, including dedicated employment support and a fair social security system.
Suggested questions for candidates
In the lead up to the election, candidates from political parties will spend their time speaking with voters and trying to win votes. They’ll often attend hustings or ‘meet the candidates’ events, as well as knock on doors within their area to speak to people about their priorities and ask for their support.
These are great opportunities to raise the issues that matter most to you with the people seeking to represent you in the Scottish Parliament.
To support this, here are some suggested questions about mental health that you can use when speaking to candidates:
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People with mental illness die on average 15 years earlier, often from preventable physical conditions that are overlooked because of their diagnosis. Will you back SAMH’s campaign to close the life expectancy gap through actions such as annual physical health checks for people living with mental illness?
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People living with mental health problems continue to experience unacceptable stigma and discrimination due to their mental health. If elected, what will you do to reduce mental health stigma and discrimination?
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Scotland’s mental health is in crisis. If elected, would you support increased spending on mental health? Do you agree that focus needs to be on funding early intervention and prevention?
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Demand for mental health support is through the roof, resulting in huge waiting lists. Do you agree that community mental health support is vital to supporting people early and preventing crisis? Would you support the government funding a national roll-out of The Nook - Scotland’s first ever national network of free walk-in mental health support hubs?
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One in three referrals to CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) is rejected. How would you tackle the crisis in young people’s mental health? Do you agree that young people should be at the heart of decision-making about their care?
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704 people died by suicide in 2024. If elected, what would you prioritise to help prevent suicide? Will you support SAMH’s calls for more funding for suicide prevention work?
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If elected, what will you do to ensure the Scottish Parliament listens to, respects and acts on the views and experience of people living with mental health problems?
