Making a difference to Young People's Mental Health and Wellbeing

The mental health crisis in the UK and globally is ever increasing, with increased stress on young people, a more prevalent awareness of global events, and the long-lasting effects of having lived through a global pandemic. For young people today, this can be a major challenge in their every day life, balancing school, work, social and personal matters, alongside looking after one's own mental health and wellbeing. Modern practitioners now need to be trained and experienced in a range of services, policies, protocols and skills that they might never have heard mentioned just 20 years ago.

During this session, students will explore issues surrounding the widely reported crisis in young people's mental health and well-being and consider various reasons for this. We will look at how local interventions can make a difference to lives, including through connecting with the outdoors and nature; therapeutic work; self-care; education in mental health support; early intervention; social prescribing. We will also look at ways individuals and services can make a difference and change lives, and consider the links between policy and practice.

What ‘looking at making a difference’ during the masterclass might involve in practice:

You will work in a creative team to design and pitch a new service aimed at supporting a community you believe would benefit.
You will research the health inequality that causes you concern and develop an action plan full of practical ways that individuals, communities, and services can make a difference.
You will engage with the online debate around the health inequality you find most concerning and develop responses to arguments that are both for and against taking action.
This session will last around 60 minutes, with plenty of time for audience questions.