Youth Mental Health Day – #BuildFutureYou
“1 in 5 young people have a probable mental health problem.”
That figure comes from a 2023 NHS England survey of young people aged 8–25. While it does not mean that one in five had received a formal diagnosis, it does point to a significant level of mental health difficulty among young people.
The reasons behind that rise are debated. Social media, the isolation of the Covid years, financial pressure and changes in community life are all often mentioned. What is clearer is how much the figures have changed. Among 8–16 year olds, the proportion with a probable mental disorder rose from 12.5% in 2017 to 20.3% in 2023. For 17–19 year olds, it increased from 10.1% to 23.3%.
How mental health can affect a young person’s future
Statistics can show the scale of the issue, but they say much less about what those difficulties look like day to day. Poor mental health can affect confidence, relationships, education and how able a young person feels to think about what comes next.
When a young person is already using much of their energy to get through the present, conversations about school, work or longer-term plans may feel overwhelming. This can be difficult for the adults around them, particularly when encouragement that would usually be helpful seems to have little effect.
That is the focus of stem4’s #BuildFutureYou campaign for Youth Mental Health Day. The campaign looks at how young people can be supported to think about their future without ignoring what they may be struggling with now. For carers, part of that is knowing when to encourage, when to listen and when a young person may need more support than they can provide alone.
How foster carers can support young people’s mental health
Advice does not always land in the way it is intended. A young person may be hearing reminders about school, chores, appointments and behaviour alongside more serious conversations about their wellbeing. Even useful advice can get lost when someone is already struggling.
Carers can sometimes see changes that are much harder to recognise from inside the situation. A young person may experience things one day at a time without noticing that their mood, routines, friendships or confidence have been gradually getting worse. Someone close to them may have a wider view of those changes and may be able to recognise when things are starting to move in an unhealthy direction. That perspective can be important, even when the young person is not immediately receptive to it.
This is a reason the relationship behind the advice matters. NICE guidance for looked-after children highlights the importance of adults being available, listening without judgement, following through on promised support and giving young people an appropriate say in decisions affecting them. It also recognises the value of positive role models who can offer guidance.
For carers, this does not mean always knowing the right thing to say. Being reliable, taking concerns seriously and following through can make it easier for a young person to trust the support being offered. Even where boundaries need to be set or decisions have to be made for their safety, involving them where possible can help them feel heard.
Recognising when more support is needed
Carers should not be expected to act as therapists or feel responsible for solving every difficulty themselves. Knowing when something needs further attention, and helping a young person access appropriate support, can be just as important as the conversations happening at home.
A diagnosis or treatment may help a young person understand what they are experiencing and access the right support. It should not, however, be treated as a prediction of what they will be capable of in the future.
Supporting a young person’s future in foster care
This is especially relevant in fostering, where a child or young person may already have experienced significant change or uncertainty. Carers cannot undo those experiences, but they may be well placed to notice when a difficult period is becoming a pattern and when more support may be needed.
Keeping promises, maintaining routines where possible and making room for conversations that are not always centred on problems can help create an environment in which a young person feels safer thinking about what comes next.
#BuildFutureYou is a useful reminder that a difficult period in a young person’s life does not have to define what follows it. Supporting their future does not always mean pushing them to make plans. Sometimes it means providing enough stability, encouragement and appropriate help for those plans to feel possible again.
Where to find mental health support
For information, advice or someone to talk to, support is available through stem4, YoungMinds, Childline, Shout, The Mix, Samaritans and PAPYRUS. NHS services can also help with finding appropriate mental health support locally.
