Health and wellbeing – Page 309 – The NEN

SIDE by SIDE screening

Side by Side is a short film featuring peers from Edinburgh discussing what peer support has brought to their own lives; what peer work is; the power of peer support as an aid for recovery and connection; and what a peer powered future could hold for Edinburgh’s mental health services.

Following the film there will be a panel discussion with some of the peers featured in the film and a chance for you to ask questions, explore the ideas presented in the film and voice how you feel Peer Work in Edinburgh should be moving forward.

The Peer Collaborative would like to invite you to our first public screening of a short film, Side by Side – The Power of Peer Support.

On Tuesday 25 February 5.30-7.30 at Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row, EH1 2QA.

The film features peers from Edinburgh discussing the power of peer support as an aid for recovery and connection. Afterwards, there will be a panel discussion with some of the people featured in the film.

The link to book a place is below:

Eventbrite https://www.eventbrite.com/e/side-by-side-the-power-of-peer-support-film-screening-and-discussion-tickets-90767394721

£100k Refurbishment for Edinburgh CAMHS Space

An Edinburgh service which supports children and young people impacted by mental health difficulties has been transformed thanks to funding from a local children’s charity.

Following an £100,000 refurbishment by Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) space at the Lauriston Building has been remodelled into a more child-friendly, welcoming environment for visitors.

The South Edinburgh CAMHS team sees approximately 1200 young patients every year experiencing a range of modern to severe mental health difficulties, so it is vital that the space feels safe, calming and welcoming.

Children and young people were actively involved in the design and made the decision to have a seaside theme. Colourful pieces of artwork are displayed in the waiting area, corridors and clinic rooms and specialist lighting has been cleverly used to brighten internal treatment rooms. Bespoke, comfortable pieces of furniture feature throughout to ensure visitors are as at ease as possible.

Tommy Blue, Advanced Practitioner for South Edinburgh CAMHS, said: “Children, young people and their families come to CAMHS at a difficult time in their lives, so it is essential that we provide an environment that is fit for purpose and worthy of those who are referred to us.

“Thanks to this funding from ECHC, what was previously an unused area has been enhanced to provide our visitors with a much more positive experience. It feels safe, accepting and comfortable and has been universally well received by visitors as well as staff.”

Roslyn Neely, CEO of ECHC, said: “Waiting for an appointment can be a very stressful time for children, young people and their families so it was important to ensure that, from the moment they arrive at CAMHS, they know they are in a safe place where they will be supported and valued.

“To enhance the space, we worked closely with children and young people and asked them what good mental health looks and feels like. The unanimous answer was the seaside.

“With this theme in mind, the space was designed to be bright and colourful, but also calming – transforming it from bare and clinical to warm, welcoming and child and young person friendly.”

Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity believes that nothing should get in the way of being a child and works to make sure children and young people’s lives are less interrupted by illness. It distributes around £1.5 million per year to support the Royal Hospital for Sick Children and other children’s healthcare settings across Scotland. 

For more information or to donate, visit www.echcharity.org 

Time to Talk Day 2020

Want to get involved in Time to Talk Day 2020?

Join See Me at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh from 11am on Time to Talk Day tomorrow (Thursday 6th Feb) where we’re hosting a day of live music, mental health and art.

This year we are delighted to be joined by Edinburgh’s Harmony Choir and singer Jessica Sharpe, who will both be performing at the Gallery, plus more TBC!

Volunteer Sean will also be holding a mental health art tour around the Gallery, and we’d love to see you get involved.

Mental health and art have always been closely linked. Art is used as a way to express our feelings, whether it is on a canvas, captured in a photo or sung in a song, it helps us relate to our emotions. It’s also used in therapy for people who are struggling with their mental health and can improve wellbeing for all of us.

But it can be much more than that, it can start conversations and tell stories that change the way we think and behave when it comes to mental health. We are all speaking much more about mental health, and hearing more and more how important it is to tackle mental health stigma, and art can do that.

So we are bringing together art and mental health at the National Portrait Gallery, to host the UK’s biggest anti-stigma campaign of the year, Time to Talk Day, and we’d love to see as many people come down as possible.

We jointly run Time to Talk Day with their partner programmes, Time to Change in England, Time to Change Wales and Change Your Mind in Northern Ireland.

Together See Me and National Galleries Scotland will be putting on a day of music, mental health and art, to encourage people from across Scotland to come down and get involved in Time to Talk Day on February 6^th.

This year we are delighted to be joined by Edinburgh’s Harmony Choir and singer Jessica Sharpe, who will both be performing at the Gallery. We will be confirming the rest of the performers soon.

Time to Talk Day is a day in the year where everyone in the UK is encouraged to have a conversation on mental health. This year is the third year the campaign has run in Scotland.

Last year over 300 workplaces, schools, universities, football teams, youth clubs (and more) took part all over Scotland. Alongside that, on social media #TimetoTalk was trending at number 1 in Scotland and the UK and number 2 worldwide.

Last year Scottish Games of Thrones actor Daniel Portman helped to promote the day by sharing his experiences of anxiety, depression and OCD, focusing on how talking about mental health has helped him.

Previously we’ve also had involvement from Nicola Sturgeon, Des Clarke and Janey Godley, while across the UK the campaign has been supported by Stephen Fry, Fearne Cotton, Frankie Bridge and many others.

Too many people with mental health problems are still made to feel isolated, worthless and ashamed. Conversations have the power to change lives, wherever they take place. This year conversation is at the heart of the day as we use the popular game ‘Would you rather?’ to encourage more people to talk than ever before.

We’ll be having performances from 11am until 2pm in the Great Hall, and will also have a mental health art tour around the gallery. Come down and join us, because your conversation can make a difference.

Find out more about Time to Talk Day by clicking the button below, and keep an eye on our social media for updates on the art tour and performers.

Learn more and join us: https://bit.ly/2sA4ENF

#TimeToTalk

Call for Scottish ‘Budget for Mental Health’ for children and young people

Figures show only 0.56 per cent of NHS expenditure on CAMHS and less than 7 per cent of the mental health budget
Varying figures across Scotland, with 0.75 per cent of NHS expenditure on CAMHS in Tayside and 0.08 per cent in NHS Orkney
Call comes as Children’s Mental Health Week takes place

A coalition of leading independent and third sector children and young people’s service providers has called on the Scottish Government to deliver a ‘Budget for Mental Health’ on Thursday (6^th February).

The call from campaign group, the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition (SCSC), comes in week which also marks Children’s Mental Health Week (3^rd-9^th February). It has urged greatly increased investment in mental health services for children and young people to tackle a current mental health ‘crisis’.

In a letter to Finance Cabinet Secretary, Derek Mackay, it has called for a significant proportion of the Barnett consequentials coming to the Scottish Government from the additional £34 billion a year the UK Government has pledged to go to the NHS to be spent on mental health.

The letter highlights figures indicating that a mere 0.56 per cent of the NHS budget is spent on specialist child and adolescent mental health Sservices (CAMHS), amounting to £67.248 million. In addition to this, only 6.61 per cent of the overall mental health budget is spent on CAMHS, a drop from 6.68 per cent on the previous year.

This is equivalent to just over 50p in every £100 of the NHS budget being spent on CAMHS.

These figures vary considerably across Scotland, ranging from 0.75 per cent of expenditure in NHS Shetland on CAMHS, 7.44 per cent of total mental health expenditure, to 0.08 per cent in NHS Highland, 2.92 per cent of total mental health expenditure.

These very low figures are despite the fact that mental health services are literally ‘creaking at the seams’ due to greatly increasing demand. Research indicates that 10 per cent of children and young people (aged five to 16) has a clinically diagnosable mental health problem (around three in every classroom), with 50 per cent of mental health problems established by the age of 14 and 75 per cent by the age of 24.

The SCSC has also called for a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention for those with mental health problems. This includes on-demand counselling services in GP surgeries and greater community support generally, reducing the need for referral to under-pressure specialist CAMHS.

Latest figures on waiting times to access CAMHS, covering the period July to September 2019, indicate that of the 3,901 children and young people who started their treatment, only 64.5 per cent had been treated within an 18-week waiting time period. This is short of the 90 per cent target set by the Scottish Government.

In addition, 204 children and young people have been waiting for over a year to be seen.

A spokesperson for the SCSC said: “As we mark Children’s Mental Health Week we are urging the Scottish Government to make the forthcoming Budget a ‘Budget for Mental Health’ for our children and young people.

“With three children in every classroom having a clinically diagnosable mental health problem, no longer can mental health be viewed as a ‘Cinderella’ service and we must put money behind the rhetoric to address the current crisis.

“There must be a radical transformation of our mental health services, with a focus on preventing such problems arising in the first place and intervening early, especially when we know that half of all mental health problems are established by the age of 14.

“With mental health and the issues associated with it representing one of the greatest public health challenges of our time, we must ensure that children and young people are able to get the care and support they need, when they need it. This includes investing in greater community support and support at school, reducing the need for referral to specialist CAMHS.”

Young people dealing with mental health issues are to be guaranteed access to high quality support wherever they live, Mental Health Minister Clare Haughey announced yesterday.

Health boards will receive new Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) guidance which outlines the level of provision that children, young people and their families can expect to receive when they are referred for help within the NHS.

The first national CAMHS Service Specification, which has been developed in partnership with young people and their families, includes a number of aims such as reducing both the waiting time for a first assessment appointment and the waiting time for any subsequent treatment.

Ms Haughey said: “We are determined to ensure that any young person who is identified as needing support with mental health issues can get services that are appropriate to their needs.

“An important step towards ensuring consistent high standards is the development of agreed referral criteria and definitions and this Service Specification, developed in partnership with young people and their families, will help to ensure everyone gets the right treatment, at the right time and in the right place.

“All health boards are being provided with this specification and will be expected to set out plans on how they will implement it, with a formal review of how it is working across Scotland to take place after six months.

“In 2018/19 our investment in mental health reached £1.1 billion and over the life of this Parliament will exceed £5 billion – investment which will help deliver the best support available for children and young people dealing with mental health issues.”

Development of the service specification has been overseen by the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Board, which is jointly chaired by the Scottish Government and COSLA.

COSLA Children and Young People spokesperson, Cllr Stephen McCabe said: “We are grateful to the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Programme Board for their work on the specification.

“This is part of a whole system approach and COSLA will continue working with partners to drive a national conversation on prevention and early support for children, young people and their families.”

Coronavirus: public information campaign launched

A UK-wide public information campaign has been launched to advise the public on how to slow the spread of coronavirus and reduce the impact on NHS services.

The government-funded campaign will include public health advice on how people can protect themselves from infection.

Similar to the ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’ campaign used for flu and norovirus, it will promote important hygiene practices, such as regularly washing hands and always sneezing into a tissue, to stem the spread of viruses.

HM Government and NHS-branded information will appear in radio and print media, as well as social media.

The campaign will advise the public to:

always carry tissues and use them to catch coughs and sneezes, and bin the tissue
wash hands with soap and water, or use sanitiser gel, to kill germs

Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Our highly trained and experienced clinicians are working round the clock to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the UK. The government has detailed plans for how to deal with an outbreak like this. We can all play our part.

“Basic hygiene such as washing our hands regularly and using tissues when we cough and sneeze can play an important role in minimising the spread of viruses like this. Today we have launched a UK-wide public information campaign to help the public protect themselves and each other.

“Our world-class NHS is well prepared and we are doing everything we can to protect the public.”

Coronavirus public information video

People who have travelled back from the Hubei province in China within the last 14 days are being asked to:

stay indoors and avoid contact with other people as you would with the flu
call NHS 111 to inform them of your recent travel to the city
if you are in Northern Ireland, call your GP

Anyone who has travelled from anywhere else in China (not including Macao or Hong Kong) to the UK in the last 14 days and develops symptoms of cough, fever or shortness of breath should immediately self-isolate, even if symptoms are minor, and call NHS 111.

The UK is extremely well prepared for any potential outbreak of an infectious disease – we are one of the first countries in the world to have developed a test for the new virus.

On Friday 31 January 2020, 2 patients in England, who are members of the same family, tested positive for coronavirus. They are receiving specialist NHS care and we are using tried and tested infection control procedures to prevent further spread of the virus.

The government is already working rapidly to identify any contacts the patients had to prevent further spread, and are in close contact with the World Health Organization and the international community as the outbreak in China develops to ensure the UK is ready for all eventualities.

Coronavirus presents with flu-like symptoms including a fever, a cough or difficulty breathing. The current evidence is that most cases appear to be mild.

For further information on coronavirus, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

UPDATE

The UK Government has pledged £20 million to develop new vaccines to combat the world’s deadliest diseases, amid concerns over the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak in China.

When visiting the Public Health England’s Porton Down laboratory last week, Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced the UK will ramp up efforts to fund ground-breaking research into vaccines, diagnostics and cures to fight against the threat of future viruses.

The new funding will support work developing new vaccines for epidemics, including their three new programmes to develop vaccines against the novel coronavirus, 2019-nCoV. These projects aim to advance 2019-nCoV vaccine candidates into clinical testing as quickly as possible.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Vaccines are our best defense against a host of deadly diseases, including coronavirus. The UK is a hub of world-leading and pioneering research, and it is vital that we lead the way in developing new vaccines to target global threats with scientists from across the world.

“The £20 million announced today will help our globally recognised vaccine development capabilities continue to develop new defences against emerging diseases including coronavirus. It’s paramount we invest in vital research about infectious diseases, keeping the UK at the forefront of modern-day science so we can share this knowledge globally.”

The £20m in new funding will go to the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI) – an innovative global partnership between public, private, philanthropic, and civil society organisations launched in Davos in 2017 to develop vaccines to stop future epidemics.

CEPI was originally formed in response to the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

Dr Richard Hatchett, CEO of CEPI, said: CEPI welcomes the UK’s continued support and funding for our vital work, which comes at a crucial moment as the world races to respond to the emergence of a novel coronavirus. The rapid global spread and unique epidemiological characteristics of the virus are deeply concerning.

“Our hope is that, with our partners, we can get an investigational vaccine from gene sequencing of the pathogen through to clinical testing in 16 weeks. The earliest stage of clinical trials (Phase I), to establish the safety of investigational vaccines, would take around two to four months.

“This is an extremely ambitious timeline – indeed, it would be unprecedented in the of field vaccine development. It is important to remember that even if we are successful – and there can be no guarantee – there will be further challenges to navigate before we can make vaccines more broadly available.”

The Government is also in initial stages of talks between NIHR and UKRI regarding plans to run a rapid research call to support the global response to 2019-nCoV.

British Heart Foundation to teach CPR to Amazon delivery drivers

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has announced that it is helping to train drivers who deliver parcels to Amazon customers across Bathgate in lifesaving cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), so that they can respond to emergencies when out on the road.

The BHF is working in partnership with Amazon and more than 100 independent delivery companies across the UK, to offer the free training to thousands of drivers.

The BHF has trained Amazon instructors at the Bathgate Delivery Station in CPR and they will pass on their new skills to drivers during 30 minute CPR training sessions.

Every year in the UK, there are up to 30,000 cardiac arrests outside of a hospital setting. However, the survival rate is less than one in ten. For every minute that passes without CPR or defibrillation, the chance of survival reduces by up to 10%.

In some instances, CPR can more than double a person’s chances of survival, with research suggesting that survival rates are up to 25% in some parts of Europe where CPR is widely taught.

Jacob West, Director of Healthcare Innovation at the British Heart Foundation, said: “CPR is a lifesaving skill that only takes 30 minutes to learn. Unfortunately, in the UK there are far too many people dying of a cardiac arrest, often because people don’t have the skills or confidence to perform CPR. It’s vital that CPR training reaches as many people as possible.

“Drivers deliver Amazon orders to millions of people across the UK every year. This unique partnership will mean we put potential lifesavers on to every street in the UK. A cardiac arrest can happen anywhere to anyone, but more lives can be saved thanks to Amazon’s commitment to training drivers of more than 100 independent delivery companies.”

Kerry-Anne Lawlor, Country Director of Amazon Logistics, added: “We regularly see examples where drivers delivering Amazon parcels for our delivery service partners act selflessly when out on their routes to help others.

“We are delighted to work with the British Heart Foundation to be able to offer drivers lifesaving CPR training to respond in emergency situations.”

Doddie’s Big Boost for MND

Rugby legend Doddie Weir continues support for families living with motor neurone disease, with additional funding to charities MND Scotland and the MND Association of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

More than 1,000 people affected by motor neurone disease (MND) have been directly helped by grants funded by the Foundation set up by rugby legend Doddie Weir, who himself has the terminal illness.

That support is set to continue with the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation pledging another year of support to MND Scotland and MND Association’s care grants programmes.

The announcement marks the start of a third year of support from the Foundation set up by the former British and Irish Lion and Scottish international. While much of the money raised by the Foundation is directed into research, a significant amount is pledged to directly help people who are living with the disease via the MND Association and MND Scotland.

Doddie’s Foundation has upped its donation to MND Scotland by £100,000 taking the total contribution to £250,000. The Foundation has also donated £400,000 in total to the MND Association.

People affected by MND in Scotland can apply to MND Scotland for care grants to help with the cost of home adaptations – for instance ramps and stairlifts, equipment such as specialist bathroom facilities and riser recliner chairs, and for respite activities for carers and families. The equivalent is available from the MND Association for those living in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

MND Scotland helped 250 people affected by MND in 2019, through the charity’s grants programme, awarding almost £300,000 to families in Scotland. The MND Association’s care grants programme totals more than £1million annually for the rest of UK and, in 2019, helped 1,425 people.

Doddie said: “We are delighted to know that we have been able to help so many families over the last two years. There are many challenges to living with MND and it has been my aim to help people in a similar situation to myself live as full a life as possible.

“The grant schemes are vital and we are only able to help in this way thanks to the amazing support we receive from our fundraisers and friends every day.”

Craig Stockton, MND Scotland’s chief executive, said: “The support from the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation is helping us provide vital support to even more families across the country, when they need it the most.

“I’d like to thank Doddie and his foundation for their generosity, and commitment to improving the lives of those affected. Through our grants programme we are able to remove some of the additional stress that financial worries can cause, and allow people to concentrate on living their lives.”

The MND Association’s chief executive Sally Light said: “We are so grateful for Doddie’s continuing support of the MND Association and his determination to make life better for people like himself who have received this devastating diagnosis.

“The generous donations from the Foundation and continued partnership with us will make a real difference to those living with MND as well as their carers and loved ones.”

Jill Douglas is the chief executive of My Name’5 Doddie Foundation. She said: “One of our key aims is to give support to families living with MND and we recognise that the MND Association and MND Scotland have the necessary expertise and experience to administer these vital grants on our behalf.

“They are successful partnerships and we very much appreciate the relationships and how they enable us to fulfil this important goal.”

For more information about MND and the grants available visit www.mndassociation.org/grants or www.mndscotland.org.uk/grants.

Coronavirus update

JOINT STATEMENT FROM UK’s CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICERS

We have been working in close collaboration with international colleagues and the World Health Organisation to monitor the situation in China and around the world.

In light of the increasing number of cases in China and using existing and widely tested models, the four UK Chief Medical Officers consider it prudent for our governments to escalate planning and preparation in case of a more widespread outbreak.

For that reason, we are advising an increase of the UK risk level from low to moderate. This does not mean we think the risk to individuals in the UK has changed at this stage, but that government should plan for all eventualities.

As we have previously said, it is likely there will be individual cases and we are confident in the ability of the NHS in England, Scotland and Wales and HSC in Northern Ireland to manage these in a way that protects the public and provides high quality care.

Chief Medical Officer for England, Professor Chris Whitty

Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Dr Frank Atherton

Chief Medical Officer for Scotland, Dr Catherine Calderwood

Chief Medical Officer for Northern Ireland, Dr Michael McBride

HEADING HOME

A flight is carrying 83 British nationals and 27 foreign nationals from Wuhan to the UK.

At 0945 (local time), a civilian aircraft chartered by the Foreign Office carrying 83 British and 27 foreign nationals left Wuhan for the UK. The charter flight is estimated to land at RAF Brize Norton at 1330 (UK time).

A small number of medics were on the aircraft to provide support to passengers. The flight will continue on to Spain following the stopover in the UK, at which point EU nationals’ home countries will take responsibility for them.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: “It’s welcome news that our evacuation flight has now left Wuhan.

“We know how distressing the situation has been for those waiting to leave. We have been working round the clock to clear the way for a safe departure. The welfare of those trapped and public safety have been our overriding priorities.”

Concern over effect of social media on young people’s wellbeing

A national report, carried out every four years, has provided insights into child mental health in Scotland.

The 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study in Scotland, led by researchers at the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow and funded by NHS Health Scotland, provides data on the health and wellbeing of the nation’s young people.

Key findings include the majority (85%) of young people reported high life satisfaction in 2018, while almost one in five adolescents rated their health as excellent.

However, the report also revealed the lowest levels of adolescent confidence seen in 24 years, with only 51% of adolescents in Scotland reporting often or always feeling confident in themselves.

Beyond mental health and wellbeing, the HBSC study covers areas such as sleep habits, time spent online, physical activity as well as school and home life. The report presents data collected from surveys with a representable sample of 11, 13 and 15-year-olds in Scotland in 2018. The surveys were conducted in schools, with all pupils in the selected classes asked to fill in the confidential questionnaire anonymously.

This is the 8th consecutive World Health Organisation (WHO) cross-national HBSC survey in which Scotland has participated, providing data on the health of the nation’s young people over the last 28 years. A wider pan global report on the health of young people across the world is due to be published later this year.

Lead author of the study Dr Jo Inchley, from the MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, University of Glasgow, said: “These latest findings from HBSC provide a comprehensive picture of young people’s health across Scotland.

“We’ve seen significant improvements in recent years in areas such as substance use and eating behaviours. But at the same time, new challenges such as social media are increasingly impacting on how young people live their lives and these can have a significant impact on their wellbeing.

“This report helps us to better understand the challenges young people face and the areas where more support and investment is needed.”

Dr Rory Mitchell, Public Health Intelligence Principal, NHS Health Scotland said: “This report highlights some positive trends as well as ongoing challenges. The data shows that children from wealthier families tend to report better health and wellbeing than those from poorer families. This highlights the need for a continued focus on tackling health inequalities in Scotland.

“The information provided by this long-running study has enormous value in helping to improve health and wellbeing. Using such information to make a real difference requires a collaborative effort that co-ordinates local and national action. The formation of Public Health Scotland in April this year will contribute to this.”

Findings of the report include:

Mental health and wellbeing

22% adolescents rated their health as ‘excellent’ but 15–year-old girls were the least likely to report ‘excellent’ health (12%).
The prevalence of multiple health complaints is at its highest for both boys and girls since 1994. Overall 35% of young people experienced multiple health complaints every week. The most common health complaints were sleep difficulties, feeling nervous and feeling irritable.
37% adolescents were classified as having low mood (33% boys, 41% girls) and 14% were at risk of depression (11% boys, 17% girls). Both low mood and risk of depression increased with age.
All the mental health and wellbeing indicators were significantly associated with family affluence, with poorer outcomes for those from families with lower affluence.

Sleep

The average sleep duration on weekdays was 8.3 hours for 13-year-olds and 7.8 hours for 15 year olds – the recommended sleep for teenagers is 8 to 10 hours each night.
The proportion of young people reporting sleep difficulties more than once a week has increased from 23% in 2014 to 30% in 2018.
Among 13 and 15-year-olds, sleep difficulties were more common among girls than boys and young people from lower affluence families were more likely to report difficulties in getting to sleep than those from higher affluence families (25% versus 35%).

Social media and online communication

Nearly all (95%) young people said they owned a smartphone with connection to the internet.
The vast majority (92%) of 15-year-olds kept their smartphones in their bedroom at night.
Preference for online (versus face-to-face) communication was higher amongst 15-year-olds than 11 and 13-year-olds.
Nearly one in ten (9%) adolescents were categorised as having problematic social media use.

At home and school life

Overall 38% of young people reported high teacher support
The proportion of girls who find it easy to talk to their father has increased from 48% in 1990 to 67% in 2018.
36% of young people reported eating a meal with their family every day.
Vigorous physical activity was higher among boys than girls. 47%) of boys and 41% of girls reported taking part in leisure time vigorous exercise at least four times a week. The gender difference was greatest at age 15 (40% vs 29%)

Jo Inchley added: “Many young people report high life satisfaction and have good support from their families and friends. However, the declines in mental health and increase in sleep difficulties are concerning.

“There’s been a small but steady increase in the proportion of girls taking part in physical activity in their free time but overall levels are still very low and screen time has been increasing at a much faster rate.

“It’s important that young people have opportunities to be active and spend time outdoors as these can have substantial benefits for both their physical and mental wellbeing.”

A spokesperson for the Scottish Children’s Services Coalition commented: “As a coalition whose members provide support to vulnerable children and young people we are deeply concerned by a lowering in confidence levels as outlined in this report, which indicates that just over half of adolescents report often or always feeling confident in themselves.

“In addition to this, one in ten adolescents are categorised as having problematic social media use and screentime use has been increasing.

“Clearly social media is having a major impact on young people and their wellbeing, as they often try to meet unrealistic standards as seen on social media, leading to anxiety and depression. This is especially relevant to girls.

“The fact that over 90 per cent of 15-year olds keep their smartphones in the bedroom at night, with a potential impact on sleep patterns is worrying. It is notable that the proportion of young people reporting sleep difficulties more than once a week has increased from 23 per cent in 2014 to 30 per cent in 2018.

“Now we have a greater awareness of the challenges it is vital that there is greater research to gain a clearer understanding of the link between social media and wellbeing, which is also impacting on confidence.

“There is a desperate need to educate young people on how to use social media healthily and how social media promotes unrealistic expectations.”

Men Get Breast Cancer Too

Ahead of World Cancer Day on Tuesday 4th February, breast cancer charity Walk the Walk is delighted to announce a partnership with the Male Breast Cancer Coalition in the United States.

The two charities are uniting in their mission to raise awareness that Men Get Breast Cancer Too.

Every year, 370* men are diagnosed with breast cancer in the UK and 81* men die of the disease. In the United States, 2,620** men are diagnosed annually, and 520** will die. Men face a higher mortality rate from breast cancer than women, due to a lack of awareness.

Walk the Walk has been working with a group of men for more than two years, highlighting that while the number of women diagnosed with breast cancer is much higher, it is a disease which can affect men as well.

The UK charity recently launched a downloadable awareness poster, encouraging men to “Check your Chest”, to spot the signs of breast cancer. Men taking part in Walk the Walk’s fundraising challenges wear a special pink t-shirt with a blue bra printed on it.

The Male Breast Cancer Coalition (MBCC) is based in the United States and shares the stories of men from all over the world, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.

The aim of the MBCC is to provide resources for men and their families, navigating their way through what is usually a women’s only club. The charity visits high schools and colleges across the United States spreading the word and educating audiences.

Uniting together, Walk the Walk and the MBCC hope to reach millions more people across the globe with their awareness message.

Roy Collins (above) was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011 and has been working with Walk the Walk to raise awareness for the last couple of years.

He said: “I was really pleased to hear that Walk the Walk, who I have worked with for a few years helping to raise awareness of breast cancer in men, are going into partnership with the Male Breast Cancer Coalition.

“Anything that can help men feel less alone by sharing their stories and experiences is a great move forward in the fight against breast cancer. I hope this new partnership also encourages more men to check themselves for symptoms”.

Cheri Ambrose, Founder of the Male Breast Cancer Coalition said: “We are honoured to be joining forces with Walk the Walk to help promote awareness of breast cancer in men.

“It is through education that we will be able to break the gender stigma that breast cancer holds and give men a fighting chance against the disease”.

If you’re a man who has had breast cancer, Walk the Walk and the MBCC would love to hear from you. Please email pr@walkthewalk.org