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Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Many people believe that those with mental health problems are potentially violent
and dangerous, when in fact they are more likely to be at risk of harming themselves
or being attacked by others than harming other people.

Young people who are homeless have been shown in studies to be at greater risk
of developing or experiencing mental illness and many would meet the criteria for
diagnosis. Homelessness can be responsible for initiating the mental health problem
and for undermining the confidence, well-being and self-esteem of young people,
worsening any problems that already exist. There is also a strong relationship between
homelessness and substance misuse. Despite this evidence, one study noted that
only 30% of homeless young people had ever accessed any mental health service and
only 10% had ever accessed any substance misuse service.

Source: Mental health problems in young people with experiences of homelessness
and the relationship with health service use: a follow-up study

Stigma is a key factor in preventing some young people in the Armed Forces from
seeking help, along with a lack of confidence in the services on offer. Admitting to
mental health problems in this setting is seen as much more stigmatising than having
physical health problems, largely because physical and psychological resilience in
the face of adversity is regarded with such importance within this profession. There
are also fears of being blamed in some way by the superior officers and this having a
negative impact on the person’s career prospects.

Young people quite reasonably fear the consequences of discrimination due to having
a formal record of mental ill health when the time comes to apply for jobs.

The two examples below from a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 2008
illustrate all too well how these fears can be realised in some circumstances. The
Royal College found that the stigma of mental ill health can have a significant
effect on job prospects.

Case Study: Jo and Shaun

Jo said ‘When I applied for a job as a cleaner at a care home, the
manager called me and wanted to know more about my disability,
which I’d declared. She pressed me so I said ‘I’ll be absolutely
open with you. I’ve got a schizoaffective disorder and I hear three
voices of people I knew’. There was complete silence on the
phone. She didn’t say a word. So I said ‘Hello, are you still there?’
All she said was ‘I’ll be in touch’. Anyway, a few days later, lo
and behold, I received a rejection letter. To me her silence spoke
volumes and I felt very discriminated against.’
Shaun really wanted to apply for a job as a community warden.
He said: ‘I really wanted the job, but I decided not to apply. I knew
I wouldn’t get it. Having a mental health problem is worse than
having a criminal record when it comes to getting a job.’

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