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There has been a huge rise in the number of young people receiving treatment for eating disorders. Almost 10,000 children and young people in England started treatment between April and December 2021, a rise of almost two thirds since before the pandemic. And there’s been a 90% rise in hospital admissions over the last 5 years. 

In this episode of Raising Teens, which aired on BBC Sussex on 19 January 2024, we explored how parents and carers can understand what’s happening to their teens and find the right support. We looked at what‘s behind this sharp rise and how services can keep up with the need for treatment. What should we be doing as a society to help our young people who may be struggling?

🎧 Listen to Raising Teens: Eating Disorders on BBC Sounds.

Our guests for episode 3 are:

  • Tom Quinn, Director of External Affairs at BEAT Eating Disorder charity
  • Dr Selma Stafford, Clinical director for NHS Sussex, GP, and BEAT Trustee
  • Tanya Procter, Joint Commissioner Health and Wellbeing in Schools in West Sussex.

👉 Find out more about Raising Teens and listen to past episodes: Raising Teens.

👏 Raising Teens series 5 is supported by NHS Sussex.

Help and support:

BEAT, national eating disorder charity with information advice and helpline
Helpline 0808 801 0677
Under-18s Youthline 0808 801 0711

Sussex NHS advice including updated (October 2023) information for under 18s in Sussex and where to get help.

NHS advice and information about eating disorders

NHS advice for parents

Health for Teens information on eating disorders tailored to your area

Young Minds: Information and advice about anorexia; body image; bulimia

The Mix support for under 25s: Body Image and Self Esteem

Mind: How to increase your self-esteem

The Hub of Hope, a national mental health database of organisations and charities across the country who offer local advice and support. Includes a Talk Now button connecting users directly to the Samaritans 

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Episode 2 of our BBC radio show, Raising Teens airs on Friday 12 January 2024. New series host Clare Cowan discusses what happens when a child experiences trauma in their early years. Traumatic experiences can result in behaviours which can cause distress – to the child, their families and communities. These can include self-harm, risk-taking and being vulnerable to criminal exploitation. How do we intervene early to work with young people in our communities and help prevent family breakdowns and escalation? How can parents, the wider family, and friends provide support? 

🎧 Listen on BBC Sounds: Raising Teens: Supporting Adolescent Trauma

Our guests for episode 2 are:

  • Emily Kerr, Clinical Service Manager for the CAMHS Crisis and Home Treatment Team (Registered Mental Health Nurse)
  • Rachael Swann, CEO of Grassroots
  • Jo Parker – Integrative Arts Psychotherapist and Clinical Supervisor, and Professional Adviser for parent consultations at Young Minds
  • Hugh Miller, Senior Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist 

If you’re wondering how parents can support their teens, and how we can make sure that support is accessible to every young person that needs it, tune in to BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey, and BBC Sounds on Fridays at 7pm.

👉 Find out more about Raising Teens and listen to past episodes: Raising Teens.

👏 Raising Teens series 5 is supported by NHS Sussex.

Help and support: Trauma in adolescents

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2024 kicks off with a brand-new series of Raising Teens on BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey, every Friday at 7pm from January 5, or you can catch up any time on BBC Sounds. 

This fifth series covers access to mental health services, supporting adolescent trauma, eating disorders, neurodiversity, and support in schools.

We know that many teenagers are struggling to access mental health services. In England, average waiting lists have risen by two-thirds in the last two years (The Guardian). Over half of those on a waiting list said that their mental health had deteriorated while they waited for support (Young Minds). The pandemic and cost of living crisis have both had an impact on what was already a growing crisis affecting young people. 

Many young people with neurodivergent conditions like ADHD and autism, also have long waits to get a diagnosis, let alone help. 

🎧 Listen to Episode 1: Getting Mental Health Support on BBC Sounds.

In this episode new series host, Clare Cowan, discusses how parents & carers can navigate the system to find the right services and resources for their child. Make (Good) Trouble’s Lola Ray has also talked to young people about the kinds of support they need and what they’ve done to find support. 

Our guests for episode 1 are:

  • Lisa Witherden from YMCA DownsLink Group, Head of wellbeing and therapeutic services
  • Mark Cox, Accident & Emergency Junior Doctor and founder at Lumi
  • Kai Willbridge, Practice Manager at BHCC for the Whitehawk Family Hub

If you’re wondering how parents can support their teens, and how we can make sure that support is accessible to every young person that needs it, tune in to BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey, and BBC Sounds on Fridays at 7pm.

👋 Find out more about Raising Teens and listen to past episodes: Raising Teens.
👏 Raising Teens series 5 is supported by NHS Sussex.

Help and support: Access to services

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Hello! We celebrated 5 years of Make (Good) Trouble with a party – thanks to everyone who joined us! For those who don’t know our story, we began as Brighton5, aiming to reduce mental ill health in young people. Whilst that aim hasn’t changed, we’ve grown hugely in the last five years.

Au revoir Lola Ray!

We also said a fond farewell to Lola Ray who’s off on her travels for a year or so. She spoke to us before she left about her time at Make (Good) Trouble and what she’s learnt along the way. It was a lovely discussion.
👉 Read the interview with Lola here.

In the news:

Schools face rise in violence and behaviour issues 

There’s been a marked increase in violence and behaviour issues reported in schools, with more young people staying home from school, or just not attending lessons. The Guardian reported that, “Unmet special needs, mental health issues and persistent post-pandemic absence are all creating tensions in schools, which can result in breaches of the behaviour code.” (The Guardian: Headteachers in England tell of worsening behaviour of pupils – and parents.)

We believe that more investment and support should be given to cash-strapped schools with a bigger focus on student wellbeing rather than on exam results. The Sutton Trust reports that underinvestment has resulted in low morale among teachers, cuts to teaching staff, and (perhaps unsurprisingly) difficulty recruiting new staff.

👋 If you need help, take a look at our Help page on Education, exams and school refusal. One great resource is Not Fine in School, which is an organisation set up by parents of children who have experienced school attendance barriers.

📚 If you’re interested in delving deeper into this subject, there’s a fascinating and sobering report by Public First that looks into the reasons behind today’s “attendance crisis”.
Public First: Listening to, and learning from, parents in the attendance crisis.

One in five children and young people had a probable mental health disorder in 2023

New NHS data “found that 20.3% of eight to 16-year-olds had a probable mental disorder in 2023. Among 17 to 19-year-olds, the proportion was 23.3%, while in 20 to 25-year-olds it was 21.7%.” And while these numbers haven’t risen in the past year, they haven’t decreased either, and these figures are clearly far too high. Read the NHS Digital report.

👋 We have plenty of resources to help young people with mental health issues. Our BBC radio series Raising Teens has a wealth of advice and insights. You can find links to all episodes here – they cover everything from anxiety, loneliness and self-harm to cannabis, county lines, and understanding the teenage brain. We have a brand new series coming out in January, so watch this space for news!

💌 Did you know that you can get our round up straight to your inbox every month? Just subscribe here and we’ll do the rest!

MGT News!

There’s still time to sign up for our Winter Holiday Club!

🎭 There are still free places at our 3-day drama Holiday Club this December run by the amazing people at Dragon Drama. Find out more here 👉 Winter Woodland Drama Workshop.

The Catalyst protest banners 

Our latest Catalyst workshop with artist Kerry Lemon (below) was a great success with some amazing protest banners created. We’ll be running new creative workshops in the new year as part of The Catalyst programme.

Happy 40th birthday Hangleton & Knoll Project!

Make (Good) Trouble was commissioned to make a film to celebrate 40 years of the Hangleton & Knoll Project. If you don’t know about this amazing community in Brighton, take a look at the film!

That’s all for this issue. If you have any suggestions or news you think we should include in next month’s round up, please comment below or get in touch. 

💌 Did you know that you can get our round up straight to your inbox every month? Just subscribe here and we’ll do the rest!