Supporting young people through grief and mental health

This blog post features a finalist entry from the Peaceful Health program. All ideas and reflections are the original work of the student author. To protect privacy and support well-being, some personal details and sensitive experiences have been edited or removed at the editor’s discretion. This post discusses mental health and loss. Reader discretion is advised.

I am writing this because I care deeply about how mental health is understood and supported today. From a young age, I experienced anxiety and later went through the loss of a close family member. As a result, my mental health became much worse, and I spent long periods feeling isolated, low, and unsupported.

During this time, I felt that the people around me did not always know how to help. This may have been because they lacked knowledge or support themselves. My experience showed me how important family and community support is when a young person is struggling, and how damaging it can feel when that support is missing.

Because of this, I believe more structured support should be available for young people who experience bereavement, mental health difficulties, or family challenges.

Why this matters

In the UK, around 1 in 4 adults experience a mental health problem each year. In 2023, suicide rates reached their highest level since 1999. A recent survey also found that 1 in 5 children aged 8–16 had a probable mental disorder.

Young people aged 16–24 have some of the highest risk levels, with many experiencing conditions such as anxiety, depression, ADHD, or other mental health challenges. Women are statistically more likely to experience mental health difficulties, often due to a combination of social, economic, and biological factors.

These figures show that mental health support must begin early and be accessible to young people who need it.

What I think should be done to help

Based on my own experiences and what I have learned, I believe a dedicated support programme should exist for young people who have lost a close family member or are dealing with difficult family situations.

This programme could include:

1. A grief and support programme for young people who have lost someone important in their lives, helping them with everyday challenges and emotional support.

2. Time to build trust with the people involved in the programme, as many young people struggle to open up to new adults straight away.

3. A confidential system, where concerns are kept private unless safety becomes an issue, helping young people feel more secure when sharing their feelings.

4. Consistent one-to-one support, similar to a support worker role, so young people can build long-term trust rather than constantly meeting new people.

5. A no-pressure approach, recognising that grief and recovery look different for everyone and that young people may want support but not always know how to ask for it.

Overall, I believe there needs to be more structure and planning around how this kind of support could work. Even though I am not a professional, I know that something like this could help young people who are grieving or experiencing family difficulties feel less alone.

Where this could be promoted

I have spoken with people from different professions, including advocates, counsellors, therapists, teachers, and carers. They agreed that this idea could be useful and suggested it could be promoted through youth clubs, social workers, schools, and family support services.

It could also be discussed within youth partnerships and organisations that work directly with young people and parents.

While it may be challenging to put this idea into practice, I believe it is important to try. Young people need better systems of care and understanding when they are dealing with mental health struggles and loss.

Final Reflection

Thank you for reading this report. These are my ideas and suggestions for how mental health support could be improved in the future. I hope this contributes to future projects and helps create better support for young people going through difficult times.

Author - Tamzin, William Morris Sixth Form