Youth Mental Health day is on 19th September

Youth Mental Health Day encourages understanding and discussion of mental health in young people, enabling them to live happy and healthy lives all year round. Each year, the day aims to get young people, and those who support them, talking about how to improve mental health.

Mental health concerns for young people have multiplied in recent times. Today, 1 in 6 5-16-year olds have a diagnosable mental health disorder, with 6 in 10 young people saying they are experiencing mental health difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, eating disorders, and self-harming behaviours. Yet only a third are able to access any effective treatment.

Though times continue to be difficult, Youth Mental Health Day is here to provide hope and positivity. By getting young people engaged in discussions and activities about how to improve their mental health, YMHD goes beyond raising awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health. It aims to tackle the heart of the issue by giving young people a voice and agency to take steps towards positive mental health.

About Us

The Youth Mental Health Foundation is a UK based non-profit that that delivers innovative and scalable projects to support young people’s mental health.

Our Mission

To develop mental health resilience in young people. To support the parents of young people struggling with mental health, to play a central role in their child’s recovery.

Our Vision

A world where young people have mental health resilience, and every parent has the knowledge, skills and confidence to support a child in crisis.

Background

In 2015, Claire and Joel Sutton discovered their 11-year-old daughter Jade was suffering from anxiety, depression and had been self-harming daily for two years. They recognised that alongside the professional help Jade was receiving, there was a valuable contribution they as parents could make to support Jade’s recovery and dedicated themselves to this role.

Today, Jade is a happy, healthy, and confident 16-year-old girl. Jade, her parents, a learning architect, and a family therapist developed an online course called The Horizon Plan to guide other parents and carers to support their child’s recovery.

As an ambassador for The Youth Mental Health Foundation, Jade has spoken to over 35,000 young people about mental health, visiting over 70 schools. She has been interviewed several times on the national TV news and radio about teen mental health. She was shortlisted for a National Diversity Award 2018 as a positive role model for young people. Most recently she submitted evidence to the UK Parliament’s All Party Parliamentary Group on self-harm in young people and has been invited to be a keynote speaker at a United Nations global conference on neurodiversity.