Visiting your General Practitioner: A guide for young people with lived experience of self-harm or suicidality

This guide is designed to support young people with taking the first steps towards getting help with a mental health crisis. It was developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham in partnership with the Youth Advisory Group at the University’s Institute for Mental Health and includes advice on:
– What to consider before you visit your GP, including preparing questions, booking an appointment and bringing someone along to support you.
– How to manage the consultation, what your rights are with respect to confidentiality, what questions your doctor might ask you, and how to manage discussions about medication, therapy and referral to mental health services.
– What to do after the GP consultation, including how to access professional support and resources, how to use a ‘safety plan’, getting support from family and friends, and what to do if you’re unhappy with how the consultation went.