Humza Yousaf has spoken out about the difficulty of balancing being First Minister while having a young family.
Wednesday marks one year since he won the SNP leadership contest, and Friday will be a year since he was officially sworn in as First Minister at the Court of Session.
The MSP said he had managed to adjust over the course of the last year "in order to give my family a little bit more time."
READ MORE: SNP mull replacements as Humza Yousaf marks his first year in office
The First Minister was speaking to journalists at a visit to Edinburgh Community Performing Arts’ re-connect, a project which supports those aged 65 and over with conditions including dementia and Parkinson’s.
He took part in a “chair dance” session as participants gathered in a dance studio in South Gyle.
Ahead of the anniversaries later this week, Mr Yousaf told the PA news agency: “It continues to be the greatest honour of my life, being the First Minister of the country that I’ve been born and raised in, the country I love the country and the country I’m raising my children in.”
He said the Scottish Government had achieved “a lot” on reducing poverty and increasing foreign investment, but recognised “there’s still a lot more to do to deliver for the people of Scotland”.
Earlier this month, Mr Yousaf announced his wife Nadia El-Nakla is due to give birth in July.
The couple already have two children – their daughter Amal is four and Mr Yousaf is stepfather to 14-year-old Maya.
Asked what advice he would give himself a year ago, he said: “Make sure you also set your boundaries.”
Politicians across the UK are increasingly recognising that mental health is “really important”, he said.
The First Minister added: “Sometimes, as politicians, we can end up sacrificing time with our families and that’s not a good place to be.
“So, certainly, I’ve managed to adjust over the course of the year in order to give my family a little bit more time.
“I think that’s really important to make sure you’re a balanced all-round individual.”
READ MORE: Humza Yousaf celebrates SNP council tax freeze in Inverclyde
The comments came as he unveiled an additional £30 million to help Scots improve their mental health.
The Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for adults, and the Children and Young People’s Community Mental Health and Wellbeing Supports, were each awarded £15 million for 2024-25.
He said: “On becoming First Minister I reiterated my personal commitment to supporting those living with mental health challenges.
“We know how important it is for our society to have access to mental health and wellbeing support.
“That is why my Government is committed to ensuring we fund vital services in our health service and in community settings to ensure we try, as much as possible, to provide a national network of community support for adults, children and young people.
“This further £30 million will fund community based projects which are focused on prevention and early intervention, and this is a significant step forward in supporting people’s mental health and wellbeing by making sure they can easily access the help they need, when and where they need it.”
He said the latest funding takes the total investment in community-based mental health to more than £130 million since 2020.
The funding is part of the 2024-25 budget allocation for mental health, with an excess of £1.3 billion being spent on total for mental health.
The fund for adults was launched in 2021 and helps community groups support adults to tackle social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities.
About 3,300 grants have been made to community organisations delivering mental health support within the scheme’s first two years, the Scottish Government said.
Meanwhile, the children’s support began in 2020 to help with the mental health impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and its restrictions.
However, now it helps those aged between five and 24 receive mentoring, arts-based therapies and whole-family support and counselling.
More than 58,000 children, young people and their families are thought to have accessed the services available through the fund.
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