Your voice, your choice: Mental health crisis among young people

The family and friends of a student who committed suicide called on the next government to prioritise mental health support for young people in schools, colleges and universities.

Amelia Butlin, 19, from Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, was a lively, outgoing and popular teenager in her first year of university with many friends and a family who loved her.

She suffered from ADHD and struggled with anxiety and depression. After the pandemic, she found it difficult to separate herself from social media and her cellphone and committed suicide in October.

“(Politicians) need to wake up to the mental health crisis they are facing,” said Amelia’s mother, Becci Butlin.

“This generation is the first to use social media in incredible ways and is incredibly dependent on it,” she added.

“They have all the other stresses of life, they had a difficult teenage period with Covid and there are going to be a lot more mental health problems coming their way.

“Nobody talks about it. The problem is much bigger than anyone admits.”

Naomi Woodford, a mental health worker at Cedars Upper School in Leighton Buzzard, where Amelia attends, was one of many people who contacted the BBC via Your Voice, Your Vote to tell us that mental health was, for them, the most important issue in this election.

Ms Woodford works with children and teenagers, some of whom have been affected by Amelia’s death, and believes every school, college and university in the UK should have its own mental health service.

She described the situation as a “national crisis” and expressed concern that of 14 schools in Leighton Buzzard, only two or three have the resources to offer mental health support to students.

According to the Office for National Statistics, more people died by suicide in England and Wales in 2021 than in 2020.

The data showed that 6.9% more deaths by suicide were recorded than in 2020.

Amelia’s mother said she was not aware of mental health care being a key priority for either major party, but she believed the next government should focus on treatment in schools and with GPs to ensure those who needed specialist care received a referral as quickly as possible.

“The real problem is how difficult it is to get the right help,” Ms Butlin said.

“Schools are not set up to help children and teenagers. And Amelia has left school, which is even worse.

“If you choose the NHS you will face long waiting lists, if you choose the private route there is no one to guide you.”

Mrs Butlin recently took part in a 15km walk in memory of Amelia with 25 of her daughter’s friends, raising money for the suicide prevention charity Campaign Against Living Miserably.

“We have seen the impact of suicide – it has shaken her circle of friends and the community,” Ms Butlin added.

“In tragic circumstances, it is important to bring people together to do something positive and tangible and focus on potentially saving even more lives.”

Alicia Down, 19, a friend of Amelia, said: “Amelia was the loss of our lives, it was heartbreaking.”

“We had big problems. It had a domino effect.

“When she died, we all felt the same depression.

“Her loss has torn us all to pieces and ruined us, and we think of her constantly.”

Ms Down expressed concern about social media and its impact on young people’s confidence, saying schools and universities were not prepared to support people in need.

If counseling were offered, she said, it would be “six sessions and then it’s over.”

Charlotte Millar, a 20-year-old student, said many young people were not prepared for university life.

While her and Amelia’s circle of friends stayed in touch and supported each other during the pandemic, the stress of graduating high school and moving to university came crashing down on them.

“No matter how independent you feel, you have no idea what to expect at university,” she said.

“You have to find new friends, study and live alone.

“That’s my biggest stress, but you’re not defined by your degree and it’s not talked about enough.”

She understands that it is not easy to ask for help, but universities could also be more flexible if students feel “overwhelmed”.

Emily Ferguson, 20, a friend of Amelia’s, said she found it difficult to put her phone down and ignore social media.

“The pressure to be a certain way is so great that it’s hard to accept who you are,” she says.

“At university you see people going out all the time, but you don’t have to go to every student night or every party. You can just go home if you want.”

“A lot of people want to post what they’re doing, but then they don’t value the time they spend with the people they’re with.

“You don’t have to prove it to the world – people don’t care that much.”

Ms Woodford said: “The Leighton Buzzard and Cedars communities have been hit hard by youth suicides over the years.

“Since the pandemic, we have seen an increase in the number and extent of mental health problems, including exam stress, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and eating disorders.

“We are in a national crisis and we cannot stick to a one-year, two-year or five-year plan. It has to happen now.”

“We need immediate intervention, we need mental health provision in all our schools, colleges and universities in the UK and I will campaign to make that happen.”

Work says that specialised psychological care for children and young people will be introduced in every school. An additional 8,500 new staff will be hired in the first semester to treat children and adults. Young Futures centres will offer freely accessible psychological care for children and young people in every municipality.

The Conservative Party aims to set up open counselling centres for 11- to 25-year-olds in every community by 2030 and promises to set up mental health support teams in all schools by 2030. It will also push ahead with the planned expansion of NHS talking therapies for people with anxiety, stress and depression.

The Liberal Democrats say the party will set up mental health centres and employ a qualified psychiatrist in all primary and secondary schools. It will appoint a Cabinet Minister for Young People and extend mental health services to young people up to the age of 25.

The green wants a counsellor in every school and sixth form and wants to ensure that people have access to psychotherapy within 28 days. Community mental health centres are to be expanded, £5 billion invested in the provision of special education and social media regulated.

Reform Great Britain The company announces an investigation into the harmfulness of social media for children and promotes app-free smartphones. Increasing employment will improve mental health, it says.