Suffering in Silence

1 in 5 young people aged 8 to 16 years have a mental disorder.

Lauren wonders who the other four in her class are …

Suffering in silence.

If you are young and struggling with your mental health

Speak up.

Say something.

Get help.

Lauren did.

Childline is a free, confidential service offering support and advice to children and young people on any issue, including bullying, family problems, and mental health. Run by the NSPCC, it’s available 24 hours a day. You can contact Childline by calling 0800 1111, chatting online with a counsellor, or visiting www.childline.org.uk for more help and resources.

YoungMinds is a UK charity dedicated to improving the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. They provide advice, information, and support for anyone struggling with how they feel, as well as guidance for parents and carers. You can find resources and get help through their website at www.youngminds.org.uk, or text YM to 85258 for free, 24/7 support from trained volunteers.

Be Kind To My Mind is a mental-health campaign and website based in Bolton, designed especially for children and young people. It offers a friendly message that “it’s ok to talk”, helps reduce stigma around mental health, and provides an A-Z directory of local support services for issues like anxiety, self-harm, and relationships. For help you can visit their website at bekindtomymind.co.uk and use their directory or urgent-help links, or call the 24/7 Bolton mental-health crisis line at 0800 953 0285

Lauren Miller is a fictional character in the dark, urban fantasy ‘The Red Marsh King,’ by the author ianhedley. 

She is a depression survivor continuing to fight for her recovery. She has received help from her local CAMHS (Child & Adolescent Mental Service) but as with all of us who have lived experience of mental health challenges, they are always there, even on the good days.

Along with her brother Jake, who is neurodiverse with A.D.H.D. the two siblings face a supernatural evil set on destroying everything they have ever loved. 

Sorry about the cold use of the term ‘Mental Disorder’ but the studies I base the statement on use that term, referring to diagnosable ‘disorder’ in line with criteria in the International Classification for Disease (ICD) version 10. Here, definitions are important.

If you want to do any fact-checking, my main source is the Mental Health of Children and Young People in England, 2023 – wave 4 follow up to the 2017 survey, official statistics survey published November 2023 https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mental-health-of-children-and-young-people-in-england/2023-wave-4-follow-up#resources

While this sounds bad enough, data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey: Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, England, 2023/4 Accredited Official Statistics might point to a worsening trend. Though not extending below 16 years of age, it worryingly identifies an increase in common mental health conditions in the 16 to 24-year-old group, with 1 in 4 young people suffering from a diagnosable condition. https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/adult-psychiatric-morbidity-survey/survey-of-mental-health-and-wellbeing-england-2023-24/common-mental-health-conditions#1-3-results 

Stay safe. Be Kind.

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