Nearly three-quarters of Scots (72%) feel there is a problem with stigmatisation of severe mental illness in the country, research for the Royal College of Psychiatrists has concluded.

The YouGov poll of 1,067 people also found a similar percentage, 73%, felt there was a lack of awareness or education and the same percentage that there were still misconceptions around severe mental illness.

The survey also revealed that less than half of Scots (45%) thought public understanding about severe mental illness was better today than it was five years ago.

In 2021 there were 16,200 people in Scotland living with schizophrenia, while 52,697 had bipolar disorder and 20,104 had an eating disorder, the college highlighted. The college is also set to embark on a campaign to educate policymakers ahead of the 2026 Holyrood election.

Dr Jane Morris, chair of the college in Scotland, said: “These figures speak for themselves – we still have a problem with the understanding of what severe mental illness actually is.

“Over recent decades there has been a lot of work to reduce stigma around mental conditions such as anxiety and low-level depression, but our polling shows much more work is needed to correct the myths and lack of knowledge around severe mental illnesses, in particular schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe OCD and comparable conditions,” she added.

Separately, but still in Scotland, the country’s drug and alcohol deaths remain among the worst in Europe, despite increased spending to tackle the problems, a significant report by auditors has found.

A national mission on drug deaths was announced in 2021 and last year spending increased to £161.1m – more than double the figure from 2014.

However, the report from Audit Scotland noted there had been no analysis of the cost effectiveness of drug and alcohol services.

Progress in improving services has been mixed, it said, with the workforce coming under “immense strain”.

Scotland’s drug-induced death rate is the highest in Europe based on the latest available data. At 27.7 per 100,000, it is almost three times higher than the next highest country, Ireland.

Professor Susanna Galea-Singer, chair of the Addictions Faculty at the Royal College of Psychiatrists, said: “It is Scotland’s shame that drug and alcohol deaths continue to remain the highest in Europe. Every death from addiction is an absolute tragedy for the family and loved ones left behind.

“Alcohol and drug related hospital admissions are high and indicate that this population group is seeking treatment – yet there have been no robust plans to provide addiction care and treatment to such individuals and their families – whilst they’re in our hospitals.

“It’s clear from this report that this situation cannot continue, what we need is a bold and consistent plan,” Professor Susanna Galea-Singer added.