Throughout July, the Isle of Wight Youth Trust will survey young Islanders about their mental health, as part of an ambitious Island-wide project to understand the mental health needs, experiences, and views of young Islanders.
Following on from the successful 2017 and 2019 Island Youth Mental Health Censuses, through which a combined total of over 7,000 responses were received, the Youth Trust is now asking young Islanders to complete the 2021 Island Youth Mental Health Census.
Radak: Young people should be setting the agenda for the services that they may access
Youth Trust Advocacy and Development Manager, Felicity Radak, said that the Census provides a vital opportunity for young people to have their voices heard and shape the direction of the services that support them.
“As a proudly youth-led organisation, we at the Youth Trust feel strongly that young people should be setting the agenda for the services that they may access. We want to hear directly from our young people, what are their experiences and where are the gaps in meeting their needs. Through our Census, we are asking young Islanders to share their views and help us make sure that we are delivering the best services possible.
“We have built upon our previous surveys, which were co-designed with young people, the ensure we get a snapshot of young people’s mental health at this moment in time. In addition to asking about general wellbeing, we are asking some hard-hitting questions about experiences with suicide, self-harm, relationships and eating habits.
“We are currently seeing an increase in demand for our services, with over 100 young people reaching out for support each month. We know that, many of the reasons that young people seek support remain the same, but we also know that the past year has been unlike any other. Now, more than ever, young people’s voices need to be heard.”
She further added,
“This is a community effort. We have had input in designing this survey from young people, schools, Public Health, and a range of professionals We will also have support from other services, through the Mental Health Support Team collaborative project, to deliver the Census. Schools will be encouraging students to take part and Public Health will be supporting with analysis of the data.
“Whilst we are reaching a lot of young people in schools, it is harder to reach those who aren’t currently attending school, those who are over 18 and those who may have experience of their voice being overlooked. To include as many young people as possible, we are offering the chance to win one of two Amazon vouchers for anyone completing the Census online and would encourage all under 25s to get involved.”
Complete the census
Young Islanders can anonymously complete the census online. The Youth Trust will be publicly releasing findings from this Census later in the year.
News shared by Felicity on behalf of Isle of Wight Youth Trust. Ed
