We All Feel It campaign tackles boys’ mental health and suicide

National data shows more than 120 boys ended their own life in 2020

Latest Childliine analysis also shows:

that 1 boy for every 5 girls talks about mental health on Childline
boys are even less likely to contact the service when they have suicidal thoughts
reaching out and seeking help from services like Childline can save lives.

In response to this research, Childline launches We All Feel It campaign to encourage those who are struggling to ask for help.

Even though fewer boys than girls talk to Childline about suicidal feelings, Office of National statistics data for registered deaths in England and Wales show 122 boys aged 10 to 19 died by suicide compared to 52 girls.

Childline counsellors know that young people can feel isolated and are reluctant to reach out for help because of the stigma around sharing their feelings.

We All Feel It launch

Today Childline launches We All Feel It, a campaign to support young people, particularly boys and young men who are struggling to speak about their mental health and to provide support before they reach crisis.

The campaign video features popular clips from the world of sport, social media and gaming and reflects feelings some young people may struggle with.

It encourages boys in particular, to contact Childline when they need help or support with anything that has upset or worried them.

"I’m worried because I feel so depressed all of the time and have been thinking about suicide more lately. I confided in someone at work that I wasn’t doing very well mentally and they didn’t reply to my message. I feel really embarrassed about telling them how I was feeling."
Boy, aged 18

Why we are launching this campaign

Suicide is a complex issue and there is rarely a single factor or event that leads someone to take their own life. It is usually a combination of several different individual, community and societal factors interacting with each other to increase risk.

The campaign has been developed with creative agency Livity and aims to appeal to young people and boys, in particular, to remind them Childline is there ready to support them, with whatever they are experiencing, 24 hours a day.

"I've had intrusive thoughts for as long as I can remember, and sometimes they can make me suicidal. I would love to speak openly about it with my mum, but we've never had that sort of relationship and I fear she wouldn't believe me or take me seriously. To be honest, I have no one in my life that I can speak to, so just putting down my thoughts alone is like a weight that’s been lifted."
18 year old / as told to a Childline counsellor

What Childline does

Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or at www.childline.org.uk.

Childline has been supported by the Postcode Children’s Trust for four years who has recently given the service crucial funding of £1,000,000 - the equivalent of running Childline for an entire month – enabling counsellors to continue to save lives.

"At Childline, we know how hard it can be for children to speak out about their mental health. In particular, it can be really challenging for boys due to the pressures they feel around not showing emotion and appearing strong due to toxic masculinity. At Childline, we want to remind all children that sharing their mental health concerns with a trusted adult or a Childline counsellor is a brave thing to do and it will enable them to get the help and support they need. Talking about mental health issues early on can prevent things escalating and can save a young person’s life. We hope that by putting the spotlight on male mental health we can help boys understand that they are not alone."
Alex Gray / Service Head of Childline