Young People SpeakUp! (for Better Mental Health Care)

SpeakUp!, the new interactive website from the Mental Health Foundation, will enable people aged 16-25 to share their experiences of mental health services with each other as well as with professionals, carers and people involved in community projects. Participants will be able to express their views openly, ask questions and exchange ideas online.

SpeakUp! comes in response to recent findings by the Mental Health Foundation that the gap in provision of tailored care for adolescents and young adults leaves many feeling alienated. While coping with the transition from childhood to adulthood, many feel uncomfortable using services designed for children or adults.

Some young people ‘disappear’ into the gap between children’s and adult services, only to be picked up later when their problems have become severe. Others never get help, sometimes with tragic consequences.

Andrew McCulloch, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation, says:

“We hope that Speak Up! will provide a contribution to the debate about how mental health services in the UK engage young people. Children and Adolescent Mental Health services are developing rapidly, yet they do not seem to be structured in a way that engages this age group. We hope this project will open up communication between young people and mental health professionals and that people will use this opportunity to engage with each other in the sharing of experience and ideas.”

Log onto www.speak-up.org.uk for more information. The SpeakUp! website is part of the Mental Health Foundation’s Youth Crisis programme.

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