I WOULD like to air my unequivocal support for the Help for Heroes ‘You Are Not Alone’ campaign.

On Monday January 15 Help for Heroes launched a week-long campaign entitled 'You are not alone.'

The charity wants everyone to take active steps in reaching out to the family members of Veterans with mental health issues.

They want to encourage those who have not been in touch before to seek support if and when they need it.

As we know there is a large concentration of wounded, injured and sick Veterans in Central Fife and we must encourage the support in reaching out to those families.

A new survey from Help for Heroes and YouGov reveals that one in four Armed Forces family members believe that their own mental health and wellbeing has been affected as a result of their loved one’s service.

In terms of dealing with these problems, 16% said they would try to cope alone, with only 5% saying they would seek help from a mental health professional.

Worryingly, of the people who would try and cope alone, 39% said they would do so due to feelings of not having ‘the right to share their struggles or to seek support.’

Help for Heroes is working with King’s College London to identify better ways to support the loved one’s of ex-service personnel with mental health problems to access care. Family members who are concerned about the mental health of a Veteran close to them can contact Hidden Wounds using the following details: Email: hidden.wounds@helpforheroes.org.uk Tel: 0808 2020 144 (free from UK landlines)

In 2018 we want to change this attitude. We want family members to know that they deserve support for being a constant driving force behind their loved ones and I for one, will be wholeheartedly supporting and getting behind this excellent initiative in any way that I can.

ALEXANDER STEWART MSP.