New data has shown that the rate of reported mental health conditions among Scotland’s population has more than doubled.
Figures released on Thursday show 617,100 people reported having a mental health issue in the 2022 survey – 11.3% of the population.
This is an increase from 4.4% in 2011.
The jump was driven by a stark rise in mental health issues among young people.
In 2011, just 2.5% of those aged between 16 and 24 reported such an issue, compared to 15.4% in 2022.
The figure was 5% for those aged 25 to 34 in 2011, rising to 17.5% in the most recent survey.
In all other age groups – except for the 85 and over category which saw a fall in mental health problems – the figure more than doubled.
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In each age group, women reported more issues than men, with the biggest gap seen among 16 to 24-year-olds.
Jon Wroth-Smith, the director of census statistics at National Records of Scotland, said: “In 2022 15.4% of people aged 16 to 24 reported having a mental health condition, up from 2.5% in 2011.
“Females in this age group were twice as likely to report having a mental health condition, at 20.4% compared to males at 10.5%.
“There were also increases in older age groups, but the biggest increases were seen in younger groups and it is now more common for younger people to report a mental health condition. This is the reverse of what we saw in 2011.”
Elsewhere, figures were also released on the number of unpaid carers in Scotland, showing a more than 25% increase.
In 2022, 627,700 people in Scotland reported being an unpaid carer, up by 135,500 – 27.5% – in 2011.
The largest number of unpaid carers was seen in the 50-64 age group.
Of those unpaid carers, almost a quarter – 24.3% – spent more than 50 hours a week looking after someone, while 55.9% spent up to 20 hours doing so.
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