Today, I attended a great discussion lead by UK Youth and Right Here, about young people's mental health.'Right Here is a five-year programme, run by the Paul Hamyln Foundation and the Mental Health Foundation.' The aim of the project is to develop new, effective approaches to supporting mental health and well-being of young people, aged 16-25.
What I really liked about the event was that it was extremely interactive. Also, there was a lot of discussion, revolving around young people mental health, between people from education, youth work and the council. There were a lot of different opinions, from a variety of people.
I was also very shocked by some of the statistics produced. Mental health issues are prevalent in young people and there is definitely a gap in services for young people, aged 16-18 years old.
It was nice to see that the Right Here Project has consulted young people to develop activities, to discuss mental health issues. I really liked the 'Dare to Share' game; however, I thought it was a little pricey at £150! I also liked that innovation labs were used to develop digital resources, for young people. One that I particularly liked was Doc Ready. There is a lot of stigma for young people, around mental health, and attending the doctors is quite nerve racking. This website/app allows a young person to talk through what they would say to their doctor and gives them ideas about what they could say. This helps the young person be more confident, in asking for help.
The project ends this year, but I hope that its findings can be rolled out across the UK!
If you want to find out more find them on Twitter @RightHereProj
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