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Young People's Mental Health in East Anglia

East Anglian young people’s concern for their mental health doubles in two years.

More young people than ever in East Anglia are searching for help with mental health issues, says the young people’s helpline Get Connected. In 2002, East Anglia contributed half as many calls about mental health as the UK average. By the end of 2004, East Anglia represented more than twice as many calls and emails regarding mental health as the UK average.

Mental health is the second most worrying issue making young people in East Anglia seek help, while in the rest of the UK, mental health ranks only tenth amongst young people’s main anxieties. Get Connected urges any young person in distress to get in touch before they reach crisis point. Anyone under 25 can call or email the helpline for free, confidential emotional support and information on available help.

‘Depression is often the main issue when young people call or email Get Connected about their mental health,’ said Get Connected’s External Affairs Manager Dulcie Ireland. ‘However, there are many other issues associated with mental health that can make the young person’s situation particularly complex when they’re trying to deal with it.

‘Problems from simply feeling lonely to self-harm or feeling suicidal can go hand in hand with mental health problems, and young people find it very difficult to explain what they’re going through to their parents or friends. This can leave the young person feeling isolated and anxious. Although one in four people in the UK has suffered with mental illness at some point, it isn’t easy to discuss with others.

‘Get Connected can help. If a young person can’t face speaking to someone familiar, they can get emotional support and impartial information on their options from a Get Connected Helpline Worker. If they don’t think they’re ready to talk, they can email the helpline confidentially and explore options such as national and local services, face-to-face services and online resources.’

Get Connected and The Carphone Warehouse are currently running a marketing campaign in East Anglia to promote the helpline service to vulnerable young people. Between January 24^th and 29^th, anyone who knows of a young person needing help can pick up a Get Connected card at any of The Carphone Warehouse stores in East Anglia. Young people should look out for Get Connected posters and cards at school and college.

Angela, 20, called Get Connected from Suffolk. Recently feelings of anxiety and a lack of concentration had escalated and were making her depressed. Angela said she sometimes felt as though she was going mad. Since she couldn’t talk to her family about it and didn’t know why she was experiencing these feelings, she called Get Connected to find out who might be able to help her. Get Connected offered her a connection to a telephone counselling service and texted her the number of the local branch of an organisation providing support and information to people experiencing mental distress.

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PLEASE PUBLICISE THE EMAIL ADDRESS -

AND THE FREE HELPLINE NUMBER - 0808 808 4994

Notes to editors:

1. The vision of Get Connected is that every young person in the UK can find the help they need to support their physical and emotional well being.
2. Get Connected is a UK wide telephone and email helpline that finds young people the best help whatever the problem. Over 1,300 young people contact Get Connected every month about a range of issues including emotional problems, physical and mental health, sexuality, abuse and running away.
3. Statistics are derived from calls and emails received during 2004. 14% of calls and emails from East Anglia concerned mental health issues or self-harm.
4. For more information about Get Connected please visit www.getconnected.org.uk
5. Available for interview: Dulcie Ireland, External Affairs Manager, Get Connected, 07971 008 049,