young people and mental health
Mental health refers to our emotional, psychological and social wellbeing. It affects how we think, feel and act. For young people maintaining positive mental health is crucial because it influences how to handle stress, relate to others and make choices for the future.
Current data show that mental health issues are becoming increasingly prevalent among young people. It is estimated that 59% of mental illness starts before a person’s 18th birthday. Adolescence and early adulthood are times of significant change and development. During this time, young people may be particularly vulnerable to challenges such as exploring their gender and sexual identity, coping with academic pressure, experiencing bullying or struggling with body image. This makes early intervention and prevention essential, so young people have the tools they need to maintain their mental health during these years and into adulthood.
Common myths surrounding young people’s mental health
mental health issues are rare in young people
Mental health challenges are common among young people. In Scotland, a University of Glasgow study reported almost half of young people experienced multiple health issues.
it’s just attention-seeking and manipulative behaviour
When young people are experiencing mental health issues, they could be trying to tell us that they need help. It’s not a ploy for attention, rather an opportunity for early intervention and support to reduce stigma.
young people who perform well at school don’t struggle with mental health
Academic success does not shield young people from mental health challenges. Anyone, regardless of their grades, can experience mental health issues. In fact, high achievers often face immense pressure and stress.
common mental health issues faced by young people
Young people can face various mental health issues and it can impact specific groups more heavily, such as those who live in rural areas or those who identify as LGBTQ+.
In 2023, some of the most frequently reported reasons young people in Scotland sought help from school counselors included:
- Anxiety: Anxiety is feeling excessively worried or fearful about everyday situations.
- Depression: Depression is persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness and lack of interest in activities once enjoyed.
- Exam stress: Stress can make you feel overwhelmed by pressures from school, relationships or other responsibilities.
- Self-harm: Self-harm is when someone hurts themselves on purpose as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions, stress or difficult situations.
- Trauma: Some people might experience what is known as Adverse Childhood Experiences, which are difficult or traumatic things that happen during childhood – like abuse, neglect or living in a stressful home. They can affect how you feel and grow, but with support, you can heal and feel better.
- Body image: Negative body image means not feeling good about the way your body looks. When these feelings become intense, they can sometimes lead to unhealthy behaviors around food and exercise and may even contribute to eating disorders.
- Gender identity: Gender identity is how someone feels and understands their own gender, which might be the same or different from the sex they were assigned at birth.
- Substance use: Adolescence is often a time of experimentation, including with alcohol and other substances. While for some this may be limited to one-off experiences, for others it can lead to patterns of use with long-term consequences.
What are some possible signs that a young person is going through a mental health issue?
Understanding when a young person might be experiencing mental health challenges is crucial. While everyone’s experience is unique, there are some signs that may indicate they could benefit from support:
- Changes in mood: Noticeable shifts in mood, such as persistent sadness, irritability or anger, can be a sign of underlying mental health issues.
- Withdrawal: If they’re increasingly avoiding friends, family and activities you usually enjoy may be indicative of loneliness or other mental health issues.
- Changes in sleep or appetite: Sleeping or eating more or less than usual can be indicative of an underlying mental health condition.
- Physical symptoms: Frequent complaints of physical issues like headaches or stomach aches without a clear cause may also be related to mental health.
It’s important to note that these signs may not necessarily mean that someone is going through a mental health issue.
Change Mental Health and young people
Change Mental Health‘s commitment to young people’s mental health is demonstrated by our Young People’s Programmes. Our approach to mental health education for young people is centred around listening to their opinions and involving them in the course development process. Young People’s Programmes include:
Bloom
An early intervention, mental health education programme delivered in schools and colleges. Centred around providing young people with resilience skills, Bloom equips 14–18-year-olds with the tools and knowledge to support their mental health, supporting them to successfully navigate life’s transitions. Bloom also provides training for teachers, enabling them to have conversations with young people about their mental health, and giving them the skills and resources to deliver.
Your Resilience
Your Resilience delivers support in non-educational settings. We work closely with youth organisations to deliver a series of workshops suited to young people’s needs. We train facilitators in our content and co-deliver our targeted mental health workshops to groups of 14–18-year-olds, equipping them with resilience skills to help them manage their mental health both now and in the future.
Me & Money
Our new programme addresses rising money anxiety in young people amid the cost-of-living crisis. It explores the interconnection between money and mental health, Co-produced with young people, the 2-session programme aims to empower, equip and provide young people with resilience-building skills when it comes to money
How can we support young people’s mental health?
Our mental health, like our physical health exists on a spectrum. We are not always at the thriving or excelling end of this spectrum and can sometimes find ourselves struggling or feeling unsettled.
Taking care of our mental health is crucial for staying at that thriving end of the spectrum, and a big factor in maintaining positive mental health is resilience. Resilience is a skill we can all develop, and showing resilience looks different for each one of us. It is important to remember that there is no perfect way to look after our mental health and different things work for different people.
Below are some tips for taking care of our mental health and building resilience. These can be used to look after our wellbeing in the short term, but may also have a long-term impact on maintaining positive mental health:
Develop your inner coach
One of the best ways to build resilience is talking to ourselves kindly and choosing whether to listen to our inner critic. This takes practice, but a good place to start is with rational self-talk – tell yourself things like I’ll be okay’, ‘These are just thoughts, I don’t have to believe them’ and ‘Do what I can do from where I am now’.
Connect with others
Sharing our feelings with friends, family or a trusted adult can be incredibly helpful in making us feel less alone. Talking about problems can provide relief and offer new perspectives. If there is no one you feel comfortable talking to right now, anonymous places such as Childline can offer support over message, email or phone.
Do things that you enjoy
This could be a sport or hobby, regular physical activity can boost your mood and energy levels. Exercise releases endorphins, which are natural mood lifters. Finding any activity that is right for you can help improve your mood and make you feel more relaxed.
Look after your physical health
Our mental health and physical health are connected, so eating well, sleeping well and generally maintaining cleanliness are so important for maintaining our wellbeing. Things like this can seem hard to manage if you are struggling, so you may need to take small steps, such as washing your face and eating something small. Even getting out of bed on a day you are feeling down shows resilience.
Celebrate the small wins
Over time each small step we take to improve something needs to be celebrated, as these small improvements build confidence and self-belief and are key to developing our resilience. With each small step we also learn things about ourselves and grow our capabilities.
Connect with nature
Spending time outdoors can really improve our mood and reduce stress. Science has shown that nature has a calming effect and can help us feel more grounded and connected.
support
Our National Advice and Support Service can help you and people you care for with mental health concerns and money worries.
We can link and signpost you to relevant local and national support, including our own Change Mental Health services, as well supporting with debt, grants and benefits.
The service is open Monday to Friday, 10am to 4pm (closed for lunch between 12.30pm to 1.30pm). Contact 0808 8010 515, email advice@changemh.org or fill in the form on the service webpage.
For full details about the service, visit the National Advice and Support Service webpage.
other support resources
Childline
Childline run a 24-hour phone helpline, email service and online one-to-one webchat for children and young people in the UK. Contact Childline by using the 1-2-1 chat or by calling 0800 1111.
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential and 24/7 text messaging service for anyone in the UK who needs support. If you are struggling to cope and need to talk, text the word ‘Shout’ to 85258.
HOPELINEUK (suicide prevention)
HOPELINE UK is for children and young people who are experiencing thoughts and feelings of suicide. It provides advisors who are trained to help you stay safe from suicide. You can get advice and support from HOPELINEUK by phone, text and email. Call: 0800 068 4141 or Text: 88247 or Email: pat@papyrus-uk.org
CALM (suicide prevention)
CALM provides a suicide prevention helpline for anyone affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts. It’s open from 5pm-12am (midnight) on 0800 58 58 58. You can also webchat with them via their website or via WhatsApp.
