With it being mental health awareness week, we at The Speaker are committed to helping all ages, but particularly young people with accessing vital support.
With suicide being a leading cause of death amongst young people, it is crucial that services are accessible, below we outline some of the places young people can go to access support. This list is not exhaustive, and other services are available.
On My Mind
The Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families have produced a one-stop shop, On My Mind, which enables young people to find the exact support that they need. Outlining some of the services available, it is effective in signposting those with mental health issues towards the correct support that they need. Most importantly, it provides young sufferers with what to expect when the access treatment, allowing those with anxiety related issues to prepare themselves for treatment.
https://www.annafreud.org/on-my-mind/
The Princes Trust
Specialising with young people who suffer from mental health conditions, or from difficult upbringings, the Princes Trust is geared towards providing the support needed to help every young person succeed. The Princes Trust gives practical and financial support which aim to direct young people towards training, employment and education.
YouthNet
YouthNet brings over 200 members from across the country together to provide support and advice to young people (aged 16-24). As the largest provider of young people’s advice and counselling across the UK, they are well placed to help young people get the support that they need in battling issues.
YoungMinds
YoungMinds is a mental health service aimed at providing support for young people and their parents with the support they need to tackle mental unwellness. With helplines for both young people and parents, it enables significant support to be accessible, whilst it also provides opportunities for other young people to campaign on behalf of mental health awareness and support; providing training in dealing with young peoples mental illness and running projects to further treatment access.
NHS, find mental health support services
This article could not possibly cover all of the services out there, but the NHS website allows people to access the services near them. We have focused on national organisations; however, the NHS website allows you to put in your postcode and find local support services.
https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/
This mental health awareness week has focused primarily on body image, an issue that tends to blight young people more than other age groups. It is vitally important that young people are aware of the support that is available to them.
At The Speaker we are committed to engaging young people in politics, with young people – particularly young women – in the field often being the target of body-related scrutiny. If we are to achieve our mission of inspiring the next generation of politically active people, we must ensure that mental health support is accessible and that all young people know exactly where to access the support they need.
This Mental Health Awareness week has seen celebrities, politicians and everyday people sharing their battles with mental illness. Whether you are a sufferer or not, I would encourage everyone to take this week to read, watch and listen to as much as possible on the subject. We can all make a change towards tackling the stigma of mental health and being allies to sufferers; this starts by educating ourselves about mental illness.
If we can direct just one person struggling with their mental health towards services to support them then we will have taken one significant step towards achieving our mission statement to #InspireNextGen.
