A national scheme to end mental health discrimination is looking for volunteers in the Western Isles.
See Me seeks to help young people to speak about mental health, so they can get the information, help and support they need.
The body points out youth don’t speak about their mental health when they are struggling to cope, often worried that they won’t be taken seriously.
Volunteers -
See Me’s research showed only 37% of young people would tell someone if they were finding it difficult to cope with their mental health, compared to 78% who would tell someone if they were physically ill.
When asked how they cope with negative thoughts and feelings only 21% said they would speak to someone who supports them, 46% would rather stay by themselves and 50% would cope by crying.
Laura Sharpe, See Me’s education and young people’s manager, said: “The only way to end mental health stigma and discrimination for children and young people is to work alongside them, actively involving, engaging and empowering them to lead the change they hope to see in the world.
“To do that we need volunteers from the Western Isles who can help us to identify the difficulties people their age face and work on ways to improve them.
“Mental health impacts on every aspect of young people’s lives and we need them to know that it is okay not to be okay.”
To find out more visit www.seemescotland.org.
Island mental health project seeks volunteers
15 August 2017