Young People at heart of our new campaign
2nd May 2017
Young people’s mental health at heart of new campaign from SAMH
Last year in Scotland, nearly 7,000 young people didn’t get the help they need for mental health problems. That’s 19 young people every day.
Mental health support for children and young people requires review, refocus and investment in early intervention services to help young people at the earliest opportunity. That’s the message of SAMH’s (Scottish Association for Mental Health) campaign being launched today.
The ‘Going To Be’ campaign aims to raise awareness of the scale and urgency of the problem. Three children in every classroom will experience a mental health problem by the time they’re 16. And in its opening weeks, ‘Going To Be’ draws attention to the thousands of young people who are being turned away from getting help for their mental health. Our long term aim is for better mental wellbeing for young people now and future generations to come.
Recent research conducted by the Scottish Youth Parliament revealed that when it comes to finding help for your mental health, only a quarter of young people know where to go. Their report ‘Our Generation’s Epidemic’ drew on the voices of thousands of young people on this issue.
Billy Watson, Chief Executive of SAMH said:
“Half of mental health problems in adulthood begin before the age of 14, so investment in solutions for children and young people now and broader mental health education is crucial.
“We know the devastating impact that mental ill-health can have on our relationships, our work or education, our wellbeing, our hope and our quality of life.
“A mental health problem shouldn’t just be defined by a diagnosis but it is often only then that an intervention is triggered. It’s got to change.
“Improving the self-esteem, resilience and well-being of our young people must be a priority as the situation is urgent, it’s not getting better and SAMH wants to see it change.”
“We hope everyone in Scotland will get behind our new campaign ‘Going to be’ and join the movement to give Scotland’s young people every chance to get the help they need, when they need it.”
Caitlin-Jay Wyllie-Quinn, a 20 year old student said:
“I first started to experience mental health problems around first year of high school.
“I didn’t receive the professional help I really needed, it was all off my own back to try and make myself feel better.
“If I had received help earlier, and whilst I was in school I don’t think my mental health would have suffered as much.”
Three, 30 second adverts will screen on STV for two weeks from today, and cinema from 8th May featuring three young people thinking about what they’re going to be when they grow up.
