Nearly a third of young people in Northern Ireland are worried that their careers may be affected by their mental health, according to a report by the Prince’s Trust.
Sara-Louise Hutton, 23, from Belfast, said when she had poor mental health she spent most of her time asleep.
She and 26-year-old Jack participated in the Prince’s Trust Team programme which they said helped them to see a future for themselves. The programme helps young people with mental health issues develop core life skills and prepare them for education or the working world.
Sara-Louise Hutton told the Irish News: “For me anyway, not having a routine and not having something to get up and go to, really did affect my mental health a lot.
“I maybe didn’t see it at the time, when I was just in my room doing nothing, I kept telling myself, ‘I need rest, I need rest’ but the reality is you need to push yourself to get better even though it is difficult.”
She continued: “You just have to have a bit of hope, have a bit of faith and be thankful for what you have.
“I have my amazing mummy, who helped me through and I am so, so thankful.
“I would say to other young people who are struggling that it gets better. As I said, it may not feel like that right now but there are people out there who want to listen and help you, so reach out and let your voice and your story be heard.”
The Prince’s Trust’s Annual Youth Index shows that 31% of 16 to 25-year-olds in Northern Ireland are worried that their mental health will stop them from achieving their career goals. And 19 per cent report a mental health issue has stopped them from applying for a job.
Jack Smyth, 26, shut himself off from the world before he found the Team programme and was able to rejoin society.
“I did the whole self-isolation thing before it was sort of cool and mandated,” he said.
“I was kind of like, ‘Yeah, I‘m not going anywhere unless I have to,’ sort of thing.
“That in itself presented a load of challenges... my go-to emotion was anger, to deal with anything.
“So it was like, the littlest thing would set me off and I would punch something or smash something for no reason.”
Jack said that he believes that people need to listen to young people more when they ask for help.
He said: “It’s not hard to walk out on the street in Belfast and see young people in a condition that is not normal or people that need help.
“They are banging down doors but people aren’t opening the doors.”
Sara-Louise and Jack are now employed by the same programme that helped them, as they both now share the assistant team leader role at Oasis, located on Castlereagh Street in East Belfast, where they are constantly recruiting young people for the 12-week programme that changed their lives. For more info visit www.princes-trust.org.uk/team
