Two young people experienced severe bereavement, bullying, isolation, and untreated mental illness that led to drug misuse, inpatient mental health treatment, and educational exclusion. One young person was bullied after a parent's death, suffered a breakdown, and entered a CAMHS inpatient unit. Another lost a close relative, developed social anxiety and depression, became isolated at school, and was moved to an ill-suited specialist school setting. By leaving school, both had minimal qualifications, low self-esteem, and poor job prospects. National data show 923,000 young people aged 16-24 are NEET, with over 150,000 out due to severe illness. A city initiative has raised funds to support unemployed young people into work and business.
"For Alfie, school was a daily ordeal. The death of his father at 14 devastated him and he soon became a target for bullying. People would randomly punch me and push me around, he said. They taunted me and made jokes about my dad dying. At 15, I had a mental breakdown and began misusing drugs to self-medicate. By 17, I was admitted to CAMHS [Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service] inpatient unit."
"Eryn had a similarly painful start. After losing her grandfather and dealing with significant challenges at home, she was diagnosed with social anxiety and depression. I was on high-dosage medication and struggled to attend lessons, she said. I was very quiet and couldn't handle being around other children, so the school put me in a room on my own. I felt completely isolated."
Read at www.standard.co.uk
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