Mental Health plight of young people in Mid-Ulster

A startling number of young people in Cookstown suffer from a wide range of mental health issues from anxiety to depression, often a response to what has happened in their lives, it has been claimed.
By The Newsroom
Published 17th Apr 2014, 13:12 BST
Pictured at the launch of the Young Minds Matter conference are Pearse McAleer, chairman of Cookstown District Council and Joanne Lucas, campus manager of the South West College in Cookstown.Pictured at the launch of the Young Minds Matter conference are Pearse McAleer, chairman of Cookstown District Council and Joanne Lucas, campus manager of the South West College in Cookstown.
Pictured at the launch of the Young Minds Matter conference are Pearse McAleer, chairman of Cookstown District Council and Joanne Lucas, campus manager of the South West College in Cookstown.

To tackle this hidden illness, the South West College, in conjunction with NIAMH (the Northern Ireland Association for Mental Health) and with the support of Cookstown District Council, will host a ‘Young Minds Matter’ conference at the Burnavon on Tuesday, May 13.

With one in ten young people and children affected by mental health issues, campus manager Joanne Lucas told the MAIL that the aim of the conference is to create awareness, reduce the stigma and to build resilience.

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“A recent report by the Niamh Louise Foundation, funded by the Department of Agriculture, found that the four main issues are family pressure, social media, body image and self-harm.

“The organisation Young Minds has also stated that more than half of all adults with mental health issues were diagnosed in childhood. Less than half were treated appropriately at the time, so for anyone who is a parent, teacher, youth worker this is a serious matter for concern,” explained Joanne.

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Related topics:Mental Health