• is in hospital
• uses mental health services
• or has a mental disorder

in the City of Edinburgh.

By mental disorder we mean any mental illness; personality disorder; or learning disability as defined by The Mental Health (Care and Treament) (Scotland) Act 2003.

Who is a carer?

A carer may be a family member, partner or friend who supports or cares for a person with mental health difficulties. Carers may or may not live with the person they support, and they may or may not carry out physical tasks. The Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 defines a carer as:

• (s329) “an individual (other than a paid or voluntary worker) who provides, on a regular basis, a substantial amount of care for, and support to, the person; and includes, in the case where the person is in hospital, an individual who, before the person was admitted to hospital, provided on a regular basis, a substantial amount of care for, and support to, the person”
• Irrespective of diagnosis, living situation, etc.

This site is for you if:

• You support someone with mental health difficulties or mental disorder
• You are interested in finding out more about how best to support carers
• You are interested in finding out more about mental health services in City of Edinburgh