We might be heading towards a winter of unpredictable weather, but one thing we know is that those who have argued there are snowflakes everywhere are talking nonsense. The Fonagy review – set up by former UK health secretary Wes Streeting to determine if his belief that mental health problems are being ‘over-diagnosed’ in England was true – is out and the results are in. Mr Streeting was ‘completely wrong’, said Professor Peter Fonagy, the chair of the review. We are not seeing a new snowflake generation.

In fact, what’s happening is that mental distress is rising across the population generally, and among young people particularly. Not because they’re weak or fragile or dramatic, but because they are growing up in different and rapidly changing circumstances. Today there is more uncertainty and insecurity, more evaluation and comparison, less belonging and more loneliness, and fewer opportunities for rest and recovery.

We recognise what Professor Fonagy describes in England. It’s happening here in Scotland too. Waiting lists are too long, and waiting itself causes harm to people who already need support. At the same time, we see people needing help with more than just their mental health – people have different things happening in their lives, and might need support for their mental health at the same time as exploring or learning about their neurodivergence, such as ADHD or autism.

The review rightly notes the pros and cons of........

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