Shining a light on youth mental health

TV presenter, mum and entrepreneur Rochelle Humes has joined forces with the youth mental health charity YoungMinds and M&S to raise awareness of the challenges young people face in opening up about their mental health, and the vital role parents, carers and friends play in supporting them.

New research reveals a concerning gap between young people’s needs and parents’ confidence in supporting them. Nearly half of young people (42%) say they feel most comfortable turning to a parent or carer when struggling with their mental health. Yet, 35% of parents say that the worry they’ll make things worse by talking about it makes it difficult to have the conversation, and 30% have avoided conversations altogether because they’re unsure what to say.

With 1 in 4 young people aged 16–24 now experiencing a probable mental health condition, the need for open, supportive conversations at home has never been greater. However, over half of parents (51%) admit to feeling judged when their child struggles, and 45% say they would benefit from a guide to help them approach difficult topics.

The research, which is being released ahead of Hello Yellow Day (10^th October), shows that for young people friends also play an essential role, with 8 in 10 (82%) saying they are a key source of support when they’re struggling, and half (49%) agree that spending time with friends has the most positive impact on their mental health.

Aston spoke to Lisa Zaranyika, director of community, culture and services at YoungMinds.