A new NHS‑approved website designed for – and with – young people has launched today to make it easier for them to find clear, trustworthy mental health information and signposting.
The Best For You website (bestforyou.org.uk) has been redeveloped in response to feedback from young people who say they often don’t know what support is available or whether their concerns are ‘serious enough’ to seek help. The new website brings together accurate, health professional-approved information and clear signposting in one easy‑to‑navigate place.
New research commissioned as part of the Best For You programme highlights the scale of the challenges young people are facing. 68% of the 2,002 young people surveyed reported that, in their own view, they had experienced one or more mental health difficulties in the past 12 months. At the same time, common reported barriers to accessing support include not knowing how to get support (31%) and not knowing which service could help with their problem (32%). One young person who took part in a focus group said: ‘I don’t think any of my friends or people my age would know where to look for help – not the vast majority.’
The research found that young people feel there is a widespread lack of accessible mental health information, including for common conditions such as anxiety. As a result, seeking support is often seen as unusual, with stigma remaining a significant barrier.
At the same time, they are navigating a wide range of pressures in their day-to-day lives including friend or relationship problems (experienced by 46% of young people surveyed), academic pressure (experienced by 46%), and family or home‑life challenges (experienced by 31%).
Best For You responds to young people’s need for support by offering accessible, clinically assured information that clearly distinguishes between diagnosable mental health conditions and the everyday life challenges many young people experience. By acknowledging that feelings such as anxiety can be a normal response to stress – while also providing clear pathways to specialist support when needed – Best For You reassures young people that they deserve help and encourages them to seek support, directly tackling stigma around mental health.
