Improve youth mental health services in the UK

Mental health is incredibly important it affects so many aspects of our and is one of the most important aspects of our wellbeing. This is why it's so crucial to have services that people can effectively turn to when they're struggling. A lack of adequate help can have detrimental effects which is why good support is so essential and vital for young people.

Personally I think the mental health services for young people in the UK can be significantly improved on and have much more effective outcomes.This would help transform so many lives if the support was better and more accessible, it would alleviate the pain that so many struggling with their mental health experience.

There are countless positives when sufficient support is received such as problems being a lot less likely to worsen in severity. Support can also maximise the speed of recovery and can help to reduce some symptoms. Appropriate help and support can lead to improved moods, better emotional management and improve coping skills.

However,  a lack of effective support can have devastating repercussions and effects such as, loneliness, suicidal ideation or negative social implications like missing out on education or a break down in relationships.

More people are struggling especially with the stresses we've all experienced  in  recent years and although there are services out there, it still remains that a lot of the services are restricted in the help they can actually offer.

To have an improved and more effective mental health service there needs to be several changes for example, better crisis support for afterwards to ensure that it doesn't happen again. Too often support is only given after multiple crisis episodes. Early invention should be more accessible and the lengthy waiting list should be eradicated and shortened. Other outside agencies that interact with young people with mental health problems needs to have more  detailed guidance and legislation as to how to deal with them effectively (services like school, social care and emergency services).

CAMHs need to be more versatile in the help they offer and change their approach since sometimes a once size fits all approach means there is not specialised support or personalised strategy of support.  Another thing which can be improved is the lack of education or knowledge or speaking on certain issues (LGBTQ+ and sexual assault etc). These issues should be treated with care and sensitivity and when this is not achieved it doesnt help the individual in anyway of feeling heard and understood it can cause more distress.  Talking therapies and other methods to treat mental health should be more regularly reviewed to see if that is best suited towards the individual.

What would make mental health support services significantly better and improve them is if there was more education and guidance as to how best to talk about various sensitive issues.  Another thing can be improved on is crisis support and after. Shorter waiting lists would be incredibly beneficial so problems can be addressed sooner. To have more effective policies and guidelines on how other professionals can best support young people.  To think about matching young people with therapists equipped to their needs and a more personalised approach. Listen to young people more about what they need. To create environments where young people feel safe, protected and listened to.

Many young people in the UK including myself have been impacted by the events of recent years, contributing t the decline of their mental health. Personally I have struggled with my own mental health and if I got access to appropriate help sooner then my mental health wouldn't have worsened as badly as it did. A change in the services is urgently needed to change the quality of young people's lives to ensure that they don't have to suffer any more than they have to with their mental health.

Signing this petition will create so much change and will help young people be heard on issues that impact them and ensure the change that is so vitally needed. Thank you so much for supporting this and please share.