Mental health concerns for young people have multiplied in recent times. Today, 1 in 6 5-16-year olds have a diagnosable mental health disorder, with 6 in 10 young people saying they are experiencing mental health difficulties such as anxiety, low mood, eating disorders, and self-harming behaviours. Yet only a third are able to access any effective treatment.

Though times continue to be difficult, Youth Mental Health Day is here to provide hope and positivity. By getting young people engaged in discussions and activities about how to improve their mental health, YMHD goes beyond raising awareness and breaking the stigma surrounding mental health. It aims to tackle the heart of the issue by giving young people a voice and agency to take steps towards positive mental health.

stem4, a charity that supports young people to build positive mental health, is proud to be the founder of Youth Mental Health Day in the UK, which started in 2020.

Over the last few years young people have experienced multiple crises —from the pandemic and global warming, to political conflict and the cost of living crisis. Today, four in ten young people say they have mental health difficulties, of which seven in ten say they are experiencing feelings of anxiety (71%) and low mood (67%).

And over the past year, nearly half of young people say they have experienced feelings of loneliness, isolation, and feeling left out either all, or most of the time.

That’s why the theme for YMHD 2023 theme was #BeBrave.

Whether it’s building confidence in facing difficult situations, building social confidence through learning to work together on team tasks, or learning to have the courage to fail by doing something new no matter what the outcome, being brave can mean something different to everyone.

By focusing on what it takes to be brave, #stem4YMHD aimed to give young people the courage and confidence they need to achieve their goals and ambitions, and be the best version of themselves, all year round.