If you are dealing with a crisis and need to speak with someone urgently about how you’re feeling, please click here:
If you would like to speak with someone or make a referral but your need isn’t urgent, please click here:
Other organisations who can help if you need support:
Birmingham and Solihull Urgent Mental Health Helpline
Mind also has lots of useful tips and advice if you need support.
Mental Health
Common mental health issues like anxiety and depression affect one in six young people (between 16 and 25), and one in eight under sixteen year olds now has a clinically diagnosable mental health condition.
Forward Thinking Birmingham saw an increase in referrals to their services of 63% between 2017/18 and 2018/19, so we need to act quickly to address this increased demand for services and make sure that no young person in Brum is left behind.
Mental health during the pandemic
The true impact of COVID-19 on the mental health of our young people is yet to be felt, but the limitations it has placed on usual support services and networks like school and friends has been severe, and many young people have reported feeling scared, isolated and lonely.
If these issues are not addressed as early as possible, there are severe consequences that follow a child struggling into adulthood. Opportunities missed and reduced physical and mental wellbeing can lead to severe, long term mental illness. This, shockingly, carries with it a reduced life expectancy of 15-20 years.
What can we do?
Quite simply, we need you to join us in the fight for good mental health, and help us to make sure that there’s a fighter in the corner of every young person in Brum. For the future of our city and our bright young minds, let’s Fight For All The Feels.
Being Young In Brum
Brum is not only one of the most ethnically and socially diverse cities in Europe, we’re also one of the youngest. Almost 40% of our population are under 25 and there are an estimated 60,000 kids and young people who need support coping with mental health challenges and conditions.
Sadly, poverty is a harsh reality in Brum that has major impact on a young person’s chances of needing mental health support. 41% of our city’s kids grow up facing deprivation and poverty, which means that they’re vulnerable to other risk factors too, such as being more exposed to domestic abuse, drug and alcohol abuse and having other people with serious mental health conditions within their household.
We need to stand in the corner of every young Brummie and stop a generation from storing up issues that can harm their futures.
Let’s show how proud we are of every child of our city by supporting their journey and giving them the freedom to access the opportunities they deserve.
Common Feelings
Our mind is incredibly powerful, which is why good mental health can sometimes be a struggle. Negative feelings can overwhelm us.
Whatever you might be feeling, Forward Thinking Birmingham are here to help. Mental health issues are often invisible and sometimes our feelings can hinder us as well as help us. It’s important to know that you don’t need to struggle alone and there are lots of ways we can support and help. You’re not on your own and you are worth the fight.
