Young people with mental health issues ‘fear being stigmatised’

Almost half of young people have experienced a mental health problem but many would not seek help as they fear being stigmatised, new research has found.

Nearly a third (31%) of 16 to 25-year-olds in Scotland would not confide in someone if they were experiencing a mental health problem, with many worrying it could affect their job prospects, the Prince’s Trust study found.

It also revealed almost threequarters (71%) of young Scots think there is stigma attached to mental health issues.

The research, conducted anonymously online, found almost half (49%) of young people north of the border have experienced a mental health issue.

Of these youngsters, 28% said they did not seek help, and 31% of them said it took more than six months before they received support from family, friends, teachers, colleagues or health professionals.

Youth charity The Prince’s Trust aims to raise awareness about the issue and is calling for people to post on Twitter the things they do that help them to #TakeControl of their lives in a bid to inspire and empower the young.

Allan Watt, director of the trust in Scotland, said: “We must all work together to instil confidence in these young people that they won’t be stigmatised, and one of the key things we can do to help improve their mental health is to help them with their education, training and job prospects.

“Our personal development programmes give young people the self-esteem and coping skills that set them up not just for the workplace, but for life.”