Almost two thirds of Scottish parents say they're suffering mentally because of the cost-of-living crisis. A new poll of parents and carers found that 64 per cent of those asked thought the rising prices of food, energy and bills had "negatively impacted" their mental health.
More than eight in ten said they felt "overwhelmed" as they struggled to keep up with payments. The survey, conducted by youth mental health charity stem4, found that half of Scots families can no longer afford family outings and trips as household budgets continue to be squeezed.
Data suggests one in three Scots families are also struggling to heat their homes, and a quarter are finding it difficult to access health services, including mental health provision.
This comes as the Record ends a week-long series assessing the dire situation facing Scotland's NHS amid staff shortages and dwindling resources.One Scots parent quizzed by the charity said both they and their child had been getting help with their mental health before the pandemic.