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GOSH launches new mental health section for
teenagers on it's general health information resource for young people,
Children First for Health, visit http://www.childrenfirst.nhs.uk/teens/health/mental_health/
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Almost half (46 per cent) of 12-18 year olds in the UK cannot name a single mental health condition
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Less than half (47 per cent) think schools do
enough to raise awareness of mental health issues and nearly half (43
per cent) don’t think or don’t know if there is enough information
available for people their age*1
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There are clear discrepancies in views held by boys and girls on most common mental health conditions among young people
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Thirty seven per cent of 12-18 year olds would turn to internet first for mental health advice
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Nico Mirallegro, who plays Hollyoaks’ Schizophrenic character Newt, supports launch of new website
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Case studies available (Bipolar disorder, self-harm and eating disorders)
Almost half (46 per cent) of 12-18 year olds in the UK cannot name a
single mental health condition, new research has revealed.
Boys
aged 12-14 are least likely to be able to name a mental health
condition, almost two-thirds (59 per cent), according to the poll
conducted by Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust
(GOSH). Young people, of both genders, also incorrectly labelled Down’s
syndrome and dyslexia as mental health related conditions.
Less
than half of those polled (47 per cent) agreed that schools were doing
enough to raise awareness of the subject, and nearly half (43 per cent)
don’t believe or don’t know if there is enough information available on
mental health issues for people their age*1.
Children First for
Health, a GOSH website for children, young people and families with
health-related concerns, has launched a new interactive mental health
section aimed at 12-18 year olds. It includes clinically approved mental
health condition factsheets, treatments and therapies, drug
information, general mental health and well-being advice and articles on
life on an adolescent ward. Audio podcasts of young people’s first
hand accounts of life on an in-patient psychiatric ward and dealing with
different mental health conditions, including eating disorders and drug
addiction are also featured.
The Populus poll also showed
substance abuse (31 per cent), depression (16 per cent) and self-harm
(15 per cent) are considered the most common mental health problems
among young people, but there were clear discrepancies in the views held
by boys and girls, and those falling into different age brackets.
Anorexia
was identified by nearly one fifth (19 per cent) of girls aged 12-18 as
the second most common mental health problem among people their age,
while for 17 per cent of boys it was depression. For girls aged 12-14
anorexia is considered the joint first most common mental health
condition (26 per cent) with substance abuse. For boys in the same age
bracket anorexia was named joint fourth most prevalent with phobias (9
per cent), with substance abuse considered most common (35 per cent).
1.4
per cent of 11-16 year olds in Great Britain are said to be ‘seriously
depressed*2, and between 1 in 12 and 1 in 15 children and young people
deliberately self-harm*3, with over 25,000 admitted to hospital each
year due to the severity of their injuries*4.
Dr Jon Goldin,
consultant child and adolescent psychiatrist at GOSH said: “For too
long now there has been a stigma attached to living with a mental health
condition. It is important that young people feel they can come
forward and speak out if they or someone they know is experiencing
mental health difficulties. The crux of the matter is that these
conditions are quite treatable and there is no shame in seeking help for
them.
“Our research shows that many teenagers feel there is not
enough information on mental health conditions available to them, and
with so many unable to name a mental health condition, the launch of the
new section of Children First for Health website is crucial to our work
in trying to address this. It has been designed specifically to appeal
to 12-18 year olds, as well as health professionals, teachers and
support organisations working with young people, providing them with
guidance and advice as well as audio stories from other young people
living with mental health conditions and what helps them to feel
better.”
Girls aged 17-18 are the most likely group to gather
mental health knowledge from celebrities, with half (50 per cent)
agreeing with the statement ‘famous people who talk about problems like
these have given me a greater understanding of the subject’.
Hollyoaks’
Nico Mirallegro, whose character Newt has been diagnosed with
Schizophrenia, is supporting the launch of the new section.
Nico
said: “I think for many people my age there is a lot of confusion
around the subject of mental health. Some will have a condition without
even realising it. For many, confiding in family or friends will be
difficult as they might feel ashamed or embarrassed. A resource like
this is brilliant for young people, and being online allows them to
gather information in their own time and in a private way if that is
what they choose to do.”
Marcella McEvoy, Children First for
Health project manager, added: “Our own analysis of 4,000 online
anonymous enquiries shows that psychosocial enquiries are the most
popular topic requests. With 37 per cent of 12-18 year olds saying they
turn to the internet first for advice on mental health issues, these
findings support the need for a trusted resource like this, which aims
to demystify this complex subject area, and signpost users to further
sources of specialist support and treatment.”
To broaden the
site’s visual appeal it has been designed in the style of three
different notebooks, allowing users to click into the book of their
choice to view information.
Contact information:
Hayley Dodman, Great Ormond Street Hospital press office: 020 7239 3126
Email: dodmah@gosh.nhs.uk
For genuine and urgent out of hours call speak to switchboard on 020 7405 9200
