Busting the blues

A recent major study reports that teenage girls are under so much pressure that one in four 14-year-olds now self-harms.

The study estimates that around 76,000 girls and 33,000 boys of this age have self-harmed in the last 12 months.

There is a desperate need for more mental health support in schools to prevent mental health issues from impacting so many young people’s futures and their ability to achieve their potential.

Action for Children’s Blues Programme, funded by Royal Mail, provides early intervention support for people aged 13-19 years-old who are suffering from, or who are at risk of developing a mental health condition.

‘Helping young people cope with how they feel and deal with these issues is critical,’ said Blues Programme service coordinator, Hannah Sargeant. ‘We had a young lady who had completed the Blues Programme and towards the end, she revealed that she hadn’t self-harmed for 30 days.

‘This was directly down to taking part in the Blues Programme and learning about strategies and coping mechanisms. She was really proud of herself. The funding from Royal Mail is so important to make sure that this work continues.’

The Blues Programme compliments other mental health services such as the NHS Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). It is being introduced to specific schools at no cost. The programme has been made possible by the generous fundraising efforts and donations made by you and Royal Mail’s penny for penny matched giving scheme.

If you would like to find out more about or how you can support the Blues Programme, please visit www.actionforchildren.org.uk/blues. You can also email royalmail@actionforchildren.org.uk or call 020 3124 0657 for more information.