Mental health: When a young person opens up to you...

Let’s start with the statistics. One in 10 young people experience a mental health issue at any one time. For those aged five to 19 suicide is the second most common cause of death, and a record number of children experiencing suicidal thoughts contacted Childline in 2016/17 (Public Health England, 2017).

In an average group of 30 young people aged 15, 10 are likely to have seen their parents separate, seven are likely to have been bullied, six may be self-harming, and one could have experienced the death of a parent (Public Health England).

Record levels of young people are struggling. Academic pressure, social media, bullying, poverty, and lacking professional mental health support are all thought to contribute to this epidemic of poor mental health. It is clear that young people are not getting the support they need.