Childline plan to get boys talking about mental health issues

Childline has launched a mental health campaign aimed at boys, who the counselling service says are five times less likely to talk to counsellors about their mental health than girls.
A still image from the Childline videoA still image from the Childline video
A still image from the Childline video

New statistics from the NSPCC-run service show counsellors carried out 642 sessions with girls in Northern Ireland about mental health issues compared to 122 with boys.

When it came to counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings, they delivered 219 with girls but just 27 with boys.

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To address this Childline has launched it’s ‘We All Feel It’ campaign, to support young males who are struggling to speak about their mental health, and to help them before they reach crisis point.

The campaign video features popular clips from the world of sports, social media and gaming to reflect the emotions some young people may struggle to articulate. It encourages boys in particular to use Childline to help them make sense of anything that has upset or worried them.

Stuart Gowdy, supervisor at Childline in Belfast, said: “At Childline, we know how hard it can be for children to speak out about their mental health.

“In particular, it can be really challenging for boy’s due to the pressures they feel around not showing emotion and appearing strong due to toxic masculinity.

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“At Childline, we want to remind all children that sharing their mental health concerns with a trusted adult or a Childline counsellor is a brave thing to do and it will enable them to get the help and support they need.

“Talking about mental health issues early on can prevents things escalating and can save a young person’s life.

“We hope that by putting the spotlight on male mental health we can help boys understand that they are not alone.”

Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk

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