Focus on NI youth mental health

Young people suffering anxiety, stress and loneliness says research

One in five adolescents in Northern Ireland experience mental health problems, according to research that will form the basis of conference in Belfast on Wednesday.

The two-day Design for Living and Partnership conference in the W5 science centre at the Odyssey complex will address recent research by the three partnership agencies which suggests that one in five adolescents experience mental health problems in the province.

The partners, the Action Mental Health, the NI Health Promotion Agency and the Youth Council for Northern Ireland hope the conference will provide information on practical ways to support young people's mental health.

The Health Promotion Agency's research carried out with 16-25-year-olds suggested that mental health problems such as sleep disorders, stress, anxiety and behavioural problems affected one in five adolescents in Northern Ireland.

Common worries

Chief Executive of the agency Dr Brian Gaffney, said the research looked at what young people worried about most and what they did to cope.

He said: "More than two thirds of young people worry about not having enough money, over half worried about a return to the Troubles, half of those surveyed worry about the future and almost half worried about their appearance."

When asked how they cope with their worries the most popular responses were the same for both sexes such as, listening to music, talking to friends and arranging a night out with friends.

Shopping remedy

Females also tended to put an emphasis on shopping as a means of coping while males looked to sport.

Information from the research is being used as a basis for the conference which will consider themes of creativity, knowledge of support sources, physical activity and self-esteem as ways to support young people's mental wellbeing.

Another piece of research entitled Minds Matter, conducted with 11-15 year olds, suggested that almost half of those surveyed felt lonely, with one in four feeling low, and among the oldest age group, twice as many girls as boys felt low on a weekly basis.

Further highlighting the gender difference was the fact that almost seven out of ten boys felt confident most of the time, compared to four out of ten girls.

Drinking

Of those in the oldest age group, two out of five young people said they turned to alcohol to gain confidence and one quarter drank to escape problems.

Chief Executive of Action Mental Health, Cecil Graham, said: "Following on from our successful Design for Life competition we are delighted to be moving into this further stage which involves both statutory and voluntary organisations working together to inform young people of the positive steps they can take to support their own mental wellbeing."

Mr David Guilfoyle, Chief Executive of the Youth Council for Northern Ireland, further emphasised the importance of cross-sectoral working by adding : "This conference is totally consistent with the major thrust of the Northern Ireland Executive's Programme for Government which encourages joined up working between organisations."