Scotland mental health consultation: NSS warns of religious harms

Religious imposition in healthcare, education and public services can harm mental health, the National Secular Society has warned.

The NSS highlighted how religious privilege may undermine the new five year strategy for Mental Health and Wellbeing in response to a consultation by the Scottish Government.

The NSS's recommendations included:

• Pastoral care: Pastoral care in a number of public institutions, including the NHS, the armed forces and prisons, is often provided in a religious context (chaplaincy) and is often discriminatory against non-Christians. The Scottish Government must ensure chaplaincy services in public institutions are fully compliant with the Equality Act 2010 and do not disadvantage anyone on the basis of their religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity.

• Public services: The Scottish Government has pledged over £50m to organisations providing public services, including those linked to mental health and wellbeing. It should ensure any religious groups given public money provide services without imposing their beliefs.

• Forced genital cutting: The Scottish Government has not acknowledged the physical and mental harms non-consensual religious and cultural circumcision can have on boys and men, and should work to extend the laws protecting girls from genital cutting (FGM) to boys.

• Religious abuse: The Scottish Government must hold all religious institutions that have enabled or covered up abuse to full account. It must implement mandatory reporting laws requiring those who are aware of child sexual abuse occurring within their institution to report to the authorities. It must ensure clerical abuse victims and survivors have ready access to justice and support.

• Insular religious communities: Individuals born and raised in high-control, insular religions that are difficult to leave without serious consequences may suffer worse mental health and wellbeing outcomes. The Scottish Government should ensure all those leaving such communities are given the necessary support, and that harmful religious communities cannot benefit from the charity sector.

• Charities: Mountain of Fire and Miracles and Winners Chapel, two religious organisations that have practiced 'conversion therapy', have branches registered as charities by Scotland's charity regulator OSCR. The Scottish government must ensure no organisations promoting or conducting 'conversion therapy', or any other form of anti-LGBT+ ideology, can register as charities, including religious organisations.

The response included testimonies from individuals who have shared how religion has harmed their mental health or wellbeing with the NSS.

NSS: Care based on 'the best scientific, medical and psychological evidence.'

NSS campaigns officer Alejandro Sanchez said: "A successful Mental Health and Wellbeing strategy will be underpinned by secular values: human rights, equality, fairness and care based on the best scientific, medical and psychological evidence.

"The strategy should ensure mental health care is delivered without the imposition of religious beliefs or practices, and without discriminating against anyone on the basis of religion or belief or on any other protected characteristics."