Mental Health Awareness Week 2021: Nature and the environment

To mark this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week, Shout 85258 has released tips and support for young people who are feeling overwhelmed by eco-anxiety and climate change.

Data from the Shout 85258 text service run by charity Mental Health Innovations shows that 65% of people who contact the service are aged 25 and under, with anxiety being cited in more than a third of conversations (32%).

Anticipation and fear of future events have been shown to be significant triggers in people reaching out to the service for support.

Conversation analysis showed a general theme of climate change giving a feeling of responsibility to texters to fix the world, and a feeling of hopelessness around fixing the world. Worries for the future and a feeling that the world is failing were also concerns mentioned by texters.

As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, we have the following available on our website:

• Tips for those supporting young people to have conversations around mental wellbeing and climate change
• Shareable social media graphic with tips for supporting your mental wellbeing around climate change
• Mindfulness illustrations that can be downloaded to colour in and share

Please get involved in supporting young people and their mental wellbeing around climate change this Mental Health Awareness Week and share these resources using #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek and #Shout85258 for us to re-share.