YMCA England & Wales responds today (2 May 2017) to the Education and Health Committees’ joint report on the role of education on the mental health of children and young people.
Denise Hatton, Chief Executive of YMCA England & Wales, said: “The committees are right to recognise the important role of schools in children and young people’s mental health. The nationwide research we conducted for the #IAMWHOLE campaign showed more than half (59%) of young people who experience stigma as a result of their mental health difficulties say it happens in school or college.
“Positively, however, the young people we spoke to also said that school is the best place to combat the problem, with education and awareness being at the heart of normalising mental health difficulties.
“If we are to get young people to speak out and seek help when they experience mental health difficulties, the importance of schools is clear, but the next government needs to move from rhetoric to reality. Accordingly, schools and the other organisations currently working with young people, must be equipped with the time and resources to make this happen.”
- YMCA provides mental health advice and counselling for more than 17,000 young people every year.
- YMCA’s Mental Health Champions project, running in locations across England through local YMCAs, provides peer-to-peer support improve the mental health of young people aged 11 to 21 years old.