Youth Mental Health Foundation
Youth Mental Health Foundation supports the parents/carers of self-harming children to play a central role in their child’s recovery (alongside professional caregivers). We are developing a toolkit of resources for parents (online courses, e-books and an online parent community) whilst building relationships with organisations in our field.

Our work in suicide prevention
There are few things more distressing for parents than finding out that their child is intentionally self-harming. It’s estimated that 1 in 10 British teenagers regularly self-harm. A self-harming child has a significantly increased risk of a suicide attempt. Recent research shows that about 65 percent of young people who self-harm will also be suicidal at some point. Youth Mental Health Foundation recognises the valuable role a parent or carer can play in supporting their self-harming child’s journey back to health and happiness. Our online courses, coaching, and community guide parents and carers to support their child’s recovery and thereby significantly reduce the risk of their child moving from self-harm to suicide. Research has shown that one of the most powerful protective factors against a child moving from self-injury to suicide is a feeling of connectedness to parents.

Our current priorities

Building partnerships and collaborations with other organisations working in child and adolescent mental health. Raising awareness of the availability of our resources. Producing online resources to coach and support parents to self-harming tweens and teens.

Our current challenges
Building relationships with the NHS/CAMHS and securing funding to grow our organisation and the number of parents we can support.
