Young people in need of mental health support on the Isle of Wight will be able to take advantage of a new digital service that will allow them to access online support from professionals.
Online platform Kooth is available for free for 11 to 25 year-old Islanders with no need for a referral and no threshold needing to be met. It comes as a recent study found a large increase in those under 18 experiencing mental health issues and experiencing suicidal thoughts.
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Integrated Care System has commissioned the new service that provides a safe and confidential means for young people to access online support from a team of qualified counsellors.
The service, accredited by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), can be accessed using a computer, smartphone or tablet device. It was commissioned following concerns from GPs that young people didn’t meet the thresholds for specialist CAMHS services, yet still needed additional support.
Recently released data from Kooth in the Pulse Report of 2021 – has highlighted the impact of Covid-19 on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people across the UK.
Users will be able to receive one-on-one, anonymous counselling sessions with fully trained and qualified counsellors and emotional wellbeing practitioners, 365 days a year. Sessions run from midday to 22:00 on weekdays, and from 18:00 to 22:00 at weekends and can be booked in advance or accessed as drop-in instant text-based chats.
Children and young people will also have access to peer-to-peer support through pre-moderated discussion forums and can read and contribute to Kooth’s mental health and wellbeing magazine. Kooth can also be used to keep an online journal and track your wellbeing via an interactive goal tracker. There are no waiting lists or thresholds, so people can use the service once they have registered.
Dr Clare Harris, GP for Child Safeguarding Hampshire CCGs, says:
“As a GP in Hampshire, I’m delighted patients aged 11-25 years can now access Kooth. The mental health needs of children and young people have increased significantly over recent years, and the pandemic has exacerbated this. It’s great to have such a positive resource to support our patients improve their mental health and wellbeing.”
Dr Lynne Green added:
“We are delighted to announce that Kooth will now be available to people aged between 11 and 25 in Hampshire, Southampton and the Isle of Wight. The pandemic has accelerated the need for additional support services for our young people.
“It is imperative that children get help at an early stage before their needs escalate, as well as have somewhere to turn to in times of struggle. We encourage young people to make the most of the services, whether that’s joining the live discussion forms or reading through the library of articles, while our friendly team of experienced counsellors are here to provide support as and when it is needed.”
Why just the young, they have family and people to chat to. What about some one in their 50s no parents, single and out of work for several years where do they get help from from experience it’s no where
Yep, good shout,same, the only help you may get is if you go into melt down, X