- Boys less likely to talk to Childline about mental health issues than girls
- Childline launches ‘We All Feel It’ campaign to help boys who are struggling to ask for help with their mental health
Childline has found, in Scotland, boys are four times less likely to talk with the service’s trained counsellors about their mental health than girls, and even less likely to come to them when they have suicidal thoughts.
New statistics from the NSPCC-run service show that in 2020/21 counsellors carried out 2,054 sessions with girls about mental health issues compared to 493 with boys in Scotland.
When it came to counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings, they delivered 891 with girls but just 103 with boys.
Which is why Childline has launched it’s ‘We All Feel It’ campaign, to support young males whoare 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.
Childline insight
Childline counsellors hear from boys in Scotland who say they feel isolated in their experiences and are reluctant to reach out for help due to the stigma they feel around sharing their feelings.
One boy told a counsellor: “I’m feeling suicidal, depressed and rubbish. I tried to kill myself recently but got talked out of it.
“My dad is really violent and has been hurting me for years. I usually miss school when he leaves marks on me. I’ve also been arguing with my step-dad and sometimes it gets quite bad. People just watch it happen.
“I feel like my parents hold things against me. I have thought about running away but it’s hopeless. I usually sit and play computer games to distract myself from it all.”
Another male, aged 18, told Childline: “I usually have thoughts about suicide, mostly when I am feeling stressed but sometimes when I am not under any stress too.
“This all started about two years ago when school was starting to get stressful and I had to start thinking about my future.
“I am a very personal person and I never open up to anyone – I just feel shy and this is my first time ever talking to anyone about these thoughts.”
Suicide is a complex issue and there is rarely one single factor or event that leads someone to take their own life. It is usually a combination of lots of different individual, community and societal factors interacting with each other to increase risk.
‘We All Feel It’
Developed with creative agency Livity, the campaign aims to resonate with boys and remind them Childline is always there and ready to support them, with whatever they are experiencing, 24 hours a day.
Alex Gray, Service Head of Childline, 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.
“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.
Childline has been supported by the Postcode Children’s Trust for four years and it has recently given the service crucial funding of £1,000,000 – the equivalent of running Childline for an entire month – enabling counsellors to continue to save lives.
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