(Photo: Getty/iStock)As Scotland heads toward next May’s parliamentary election, The Salvation Army is pressing political leaders to put homelessness prevention at the top of their agendas. The appeal comes as the latest national homelessness figures reveal worrying links between housing insecurity and poor mental health. A recent analysis of people obtaining support from Scotland’s Salvation Army Homelessness Service revealed concerning trends: half of service users are struggling with mental health issues. Assistant Territorial Director for Strategic Operations & Development in Scotland Helen Murdoch warned that tackling homelessness means addressing root causes. Underlying issues such as poverty, trauma, abuse, addiction and mental health issues all increase the risk,” she stated.