One in ten young people experience depression
Around one in ten young people will experience depression, stress or anxiety by the time they reach 18 - that's around 1.4 million, according to new figures.
They increasingly feel pressure from social media to keep up with their peers, do well in exams and forge their career path earlier and earlier. The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust has come up with a guide to help parents deal with depressed youngsters.
Ranvir Singh went to meet a group of young people to discuss the pressures they feel under in today's society. They were talking at new pilot project to reach 13 to 24 year olds set up by Newham’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) with Reprezent 107.3FM, a youth radio station.
They have a week of programmes aiming to get youngster talking about mental health issues commonly suffered by people their age and the reduce the stigma attached to discussing them.
The charity identifies the following warning signs:
Irregular sleep
Decreased energy with sad, anxious or low mood
Appetite changes and weight loss
Changes in resilience
Changes in performance
Thoughts of death or suicide
Withdrawal
Difficulty making decisions
Feelings of worthlessness
Guilt and hopelessness
Risky behaviour
Unexplained physical symptoms
To see the full parents' guide visit the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust website