Young People’s Mental Health

 Healthwatch South Tyneside chose young people’s mental health  as a priority because of ongoing concerns raised through community engagement and signposting work. Between December 2025 and February 2026, Healthwatch contacted 32 voluntary and statutory organisations to distribute a survey, visited several services directly, promoted the survey online and in paper form, and ran paid social media adverts. In total, 53 young people completed the survey, providing insights into where they seek help, how they experience services, and what improvements they believe are needed. 

The findings show that young people turn to a wide range of support options, including friends, family, partners, GPs, counsellors, and specialist services such as CYPS and SURT. However, some young people said they avoided speaking to others because of fear of judgement or previous negative experiences with professionals. Feedback on services was mixed, with some young people reporting supportive experiences with GPs, SURT, and certain voluntary sector services, while others described poor experiences with CAMHS and CYPS, particularly around inconsistency of staff and feeling spoken to inappropriately.

Long waiting times emerged as a major and recurring concern throughout the survey. Young people reported waits ranging from six months to two years, delays in diagnosis, repeated assessments, and frequent changes in workers. Many respondents felt that these delays meant support was not available when it was most needed, which worsened their mental health. 

Another strong theme was how young people felt they were treated by professionals. Several respondents said they felt unheard, talked over, or spoken to “like a child,” and described services as scripted, lacking empathy, and insufficiently responsive to individual needs. In contrast, SURT was repeatedly highlighted as an example of positive practice, with young people praising its approachability, consistency, and supportive staff. 

Young people also reported that mental health services are not well advertised and that many do not know what support is available. They asked for better promotion of services, clearer signposting, more flexible communication methods such as text messaging, and improved mental health support within schools, including one‑to‑one sessions and trained staff. Many expressed a strong desire for decision‑makers to listen directly to young people when designing and improving services. 

Based on the feedback and local referral data showing rates significantly higher than the national average, Healthwatch South Tyneside made several recommendations. These include reducing waiting times for assessment and diagnosis, improving signposting to alternative services, increasing promotion of available support in places young people use, expanding access to one‑to‑one support, and learning from good practice such as SURT to inform staff training. The report concludes by thanking the young people and organisations who contributed to the research and shared their experiences.