Figures reveal police attended 695 'concern for person' incidents in Caithness in 2022

New figures show the extent to which police resources in Caithness are being committed to dealing with people in crisis – prompting a local campaign group to warn that the county's mental health needs have been "forgotten about".

Steven Szyfelbain of No More Lost Souls spoke out after it emerged that Police Scotland attended 695 “concern for person” incidents in Caithness during 2022 – close to an average of two per day.

The local authority area of Thurso and Northwest Caithness accounted for 379 incidents, while there were 316 in Wick and East Caithness.

The figures were obtained through a Freedom of Information request by a Caithness resident who has asked not to be named.

Mr Szyfelbain, from Wick, started No More Lost Souls in July 2020 after a series of suicides in the county. The group campaigns for better provision locally for people struggling with their mental health, as well as seeking to end the stigma over talking about the subject.

He described the figures as "a perfect and shattering example of cascade failure with regard to the mental health crisis here in Caithness".

He blamed "endless cuts" by the Scottish Government and a "relentless push for centralisation".

"One simply cannot take away with one hand and expect the other hand to do the job of two," Mr Szyfelbain said.

"We have no permanent psychiatrist or psychological team, all locums for over a decade, and no dedicated unit for those in crisis – instead an overburdened hospital that is already breaking at the seams. And thus the onus is then put upon Police Scotland to intervene in matters they simply don't have training to cope with."

Mr Szyfelbain added: "A person of concern, or as it may be called a vulnerable person, of which I am one, is someone who has been recognised as being at risk health-wise as a result of concern being brought forward by friends or family. It is not a criminal designation – it is a means to identify the situation before an officer attends the call.

"In theory this should mean that the individual is treated as a patient rather than a lawbreaker. However, the perception of mental illness is blurred and often the scenario presented is of criminality rather than someone suffering.

"This contributes massively to the stigma surrounding mental health issues, and can lead to a negative outcome in these scenarios.

"I've been campaigning now coming up on three years, and I would argue that things are worse now than they were before two brutal years of lockdowns and restrictions.

"Caithness has been forgotten about by the powers that be, and now we are all suffering as a result. It is beyond time for influential people to stand up and use their power for the common good, because I simply do not see a single elected representative daring to tackle this problem head-on."

Scotland's mental wellbeing minister Kevin Stewart said: “For the coming financial year, the budget for direct investment in mental health support and services will be £290 million, an increase of 139 per cent since 2020/21, subject to approval of the Scottish Parliament.

“This represents an increase of £38 million on the revised 2022/23 budget position, following the emergency budget review.”

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