I got re-tweeted by another local region (the next door region to myself) which was good!!
But I still would love to hit the rest of them over the head!! So more thoughts and stats coming up...
So, why do I think educating other leaders, adults, so important?
It's not something I've really gone into. I've been at the hands of the NHS system for a good while now, including the mental health system. I know that a lot of people just 'don't get' mental health problems, more often than not because they've just not been there. That is also the case of leaders in both organisations. I know there is a proportion of them who have, like myself, experience first hand the joys of the ineptitude of the UK's NHS mental health system. The problem is when those of who know what it's like don't really want to proclaim it too loudly as we often meet the 'I just don't get it' group...
The thing is we can't hide forever, there has been a huge advertising campaign on the TV in the last year here in the UK on mental health and how it's 'time to change' and the need to 'end mental health discrimination'. Well it's worked to a point people are more willing to talk about mental health, but it's still very much skimmed over the surface where possible.
I know for fact that there is very little training overall on the mental well being for GGUKs members, that's girls between 6-25 plus adult leaders. Yes, there are policies, resources and online-guidance. But at no point are you ever given proper training including 'good-practice guide-lines' or a pointers sheet with real things to look out for.
The reason that leaders in groups like GGUK and Scouting UK need to be educated is simple. If you don't know exactly what to look for, then what good can you do for a child's mental well-being.
Many organisations forget that children are just as susceptible to mental health problems. In fact Young Minds collated statistics from a variety of research studies in the last 10 years showing that:
- 9.6% of children and young people between 5-16 years have a mental disorder
- 7.7% of children aged 5-10 years have a mental disorder
- 11.5% of young people aged between 11-16 years have a mental disorder
How about these ones for a statistic then?
- 0.9% of children and young people are seriously depressed
- 0.2% of 5-10 year-olds are seriously depressed
- 1.4% of 11-16 year-olds are seriously depressed
- 2.2% of 16-24 year-olds have experienced a depressive episode
Or
- Between 1 in 12 and 1 in 15 children and young people deliberately self harm.
- The increase in children and young people being admitted to hospital in the last 10 years is 68%
- 8.9% of 16-24 year-olds have self-harmed
- 6.2% of 16-24 year-olds have attempted suicide in their lifetime
- And finally in 2011, 194 15-19 year-olds and 427 20-24year-olds have committed suicide
It's pretty grim really isn't it?
Perhaps if those in a leadership role to do with child and young adult groups knew more, we could all help create a more secure safety net that those with mental health disorders felt safe with we could start open discussions that may help alleviate some of these statistics...
As always please tweet, facebook or email the groups you would like to see 'get this'. If you feel that you would like to help keep hitting organisations on the head with the statistics and my thinkings please re-tweet them to your local areas, but I ask if you can to re-tweet them to these one's in particular:
@Girlguiding, @UKScouting @wagggs_world and my local regions @GuidingLaSER @GuidingSussexE
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