Mental health difficulties are increasingly common among young adults: a study by the Mental Health Foundation found that 6 per cent of young men and 16 per cent of young women experience mental health difficulties; in the UK, suicide is the most common cause of death for young men under 25. Since 1982, the incidence of young male suicide has increased by 75 per cent, reaching 1,300 per year in 2002.
Mental health difficulties are particularly prevalent among particular groups of young adults, including: those in care/care leavers; homeless young adults; young offenders, and refugees.
Learning providers should consider a range of factors when establishing provision for young adults who experience mental health difficulties, these include: the methods of recruitment they use; the style of provision they offer; the skills and experiences of the staff they employ; the networks and partnerships that they contribute to.
Four key principles of good practice were identified:
|
Young people centred approach – the individual needs of each young person should be identified and the learning should be tailored to meet these needs. This process should be carried out with, rather than for, the young adult, as he or she is the expert about how they are feeling and what type of learning will work for them. |
|
Flexibility – for many people with mental health difficulties it can be difficult to predict how they might be feeling from one day to the next. This may affect their ability to attend a learning programme on a regular basis. Providers should respond to this in a positive manner by being as flexible as possible. |
|
Relaxed and varied approach – the environment, the atmosphere created and the style of provision should be as relaxed and comfortable as possible. The provision should be varied, with plenty of opportunity for breaks. All of these factors will help to ensure that young adults look forward to attending, rather than perceiving it as a chore, or like going to school. |
|
Working with others – working in partnership with other organisations from the learning, health and social care sectors will help them to more effectively meet the holistic needs of young adults with mental health difficulties. |