Study by mental health charity finds more than half of young people in Highlands face 'significant stress'
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The scale of the mental health crisis among young people across the Highlands has been laid bare in a new study in which most of those taking part were from Caithness.
The research by mental health charity Centred found that more than half of young people in the region were facing "significant stress" and most of those who had experienced mental health disorders were not able to receive help in a timely manner during the pandemic.
The charity described it as "alarming" that 14 per cent of young people surveyed claimed they had no-one in their life who would be willing to listen to them.
And 39 per cent said they had felt uncomfortable or unsafe using social media, with the most common concerns being body-shaming, objectification and cyberbullying.
The document notes that Covid-19 has "further highlighted structural weaknesses in the provision of care and support", with many young people reporting that they felt unable to access adequate and appropriate services.
Centred, formerly Birchwood Highland, launched its report – An Exploration into the Factors Impacting on the Mental Health and Wellbeing of Highland Youth: Part 1 – on Monday, World Mental Health Day.
There were 173 participants in the survey, aged between 13 and 25 years, with most – 58 per cent – coming from Caithness.
Inverness-based Centred, formerly Birchwood Highland, has been supporting people with mental ill-health since 1987. It has a base at Wick Business Park and also operates in Lochaber and Easter Ross.
Dr Clare Daly, head of communications and research at Centred, said: “Rural youth are facing many challenges in the current context and yet they often feel not listened to or disbelieved.
"In response to this, we wanted to find out more about how different aspects of life have impacted their mental health and overall wellbeing.
"The subject of rural youth mental health is vitally important and needs to be kept in the spotlight in order to address the many issues that have been raised by our research.
"It is our hope that we can add to the knowledge base and encourage an ongoing dialogue as to how best to go forward, one that recognises young people as ‘experts by experience’”.
Chief executive David Brookfield said: “Centred is adapting to change in the mental health landscape. We are initiating our own research into mental health within rural areas to identify ways that service delivery can be adapted to rural challenges.
"We believe this will make us as an organisation ready for the challenges of the future, and will contribute to rural mental health knowledge.”
The report points out that according to one study "young people from rural areas have poorer mental health and wellbeing than those living in urban areas".
It identifies "an overarching theme of deprivation and/or limitation" in rural communities in the Highlands: "Respondents felt that their rural communities were lacking, chiefly, in access to appropriate mental health support, public amenities and future prospects."
It also states: "Where respondents affirmed that they felt Covid-19 had changed them (63 per cent), many of the responses were centred around a decrease in mental wellbeing, with participants noting that they experienced more anxiety in social situations, and a deep sense of isolation. In sum, assimilating back into society has been challenging.
"Conversely, there have also been some comments, albeit a minority, which expressed the lockdown as a chance for self-discovery and personal growth."
The report says "a necessary first step" is an investigation into the reasons why participants who say they are experiencing severe anxiety, leading to isolation, are unable to receive mental health support.
Forty-three per cent felt that their communities did not have adequate access to primary or secondary mental health services.
Friends and family were deemed to be the most important contributors to good mental wellbeing, "even more so than dedicated mental health support services".
Fifty-one per cent of those who were school pupils indicated that they would not feel comfortable seeking advice on personal issues from school staff. The document suggests there is "considerable room for schools to provide greater pastoral support".
The full report can be read on the Centred website. It follows on from a previous study by the charity, Mental Health: Exploring the Current Landscape.
