MENTAL HEALTH: Urgent need for support

The Prime Minister’s pledge to implement new measures to improve mental health services for young people couldn’t be more timely as new figures from The Prince’s Trust reveal that one in three young people in the North East don’t feel in control of their lives.

In response to these findings, and the fact that more young people than ever before are coming to us experiencing mental health issues, we are addressing an urgent need to improve provision by launching our own mental health strategy. We welcome the Government’s pledge to improve these services for young people.

The Prince’s Trust Macquarie Youth Index reveals that young people’s confidence and happiness are at their lowest levels since the report was first launched in 2009. It paints a deeply concerning picture for a generation of young people who feel that their future is slipping away from them.

Many young people in the North East feel desperate about their situation. It’s vital that we act now if we’re to help them get the right support to create brighter futures for themselves.

The most important thing we can do to empower these young people is to continue to help them find work, education or training.

Now, more than ever before we need to work together to help them take positive steps and regain control of their lives.

Jonathan Townsend,

Prince’s Trust Director for the North of England