Isle of Wight Youth Trust say young people's mental health reach crisis

Three in 10 young people on the island had been diagnosed with a mental health condition

The charity's survey found four in 10 young people on the island had considered taking their own life
Author: Freya TaylorPublished 26th Jan 2026

The Isle of Wight Youth Trust say they're facing extreme demand as young people's mental health reaches a crisis on the island.

The charity's survey found four in 10 young people on the island had considered taking their own life and three in 10 had been diagnosed with a mental health condition.

Paul Savill, Network and Information Coordinator at the Isle of Wight Youth Trust, said: "We do this annual set and a biannual census so every other year, we take a census and ask questions to young people right across the island how they're feeling and the things that are impacting on them.

"We've been doing these since 2017 and we're starting to get a good picture of whether things are getting better or worse.

"Across 2025 did seem to indicate that things were getting worse.

"There were some positive themes, but there were some really hard themes that were coming through.

"This was particularly around young people that are self harming or even thinking about taking their own life."

Mr Savill told us that demand is increasing.

He said: "So the demand has constantly crept up, and that's why we've had to look at what we can do to actually go back and help families to support the children, young people that might be struggling.

If you need help, you can contact the Samaritans by calling 116 123.

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