Looking after your mental health and wellbeing is important for all of us. With a shift in attitudes gradually making society more accepting, talking about mental health issues and seeking help is no longer anything out of the ordinary.

However, across the country, there is still a significant crisis in young people’s mental health, which can have lasting impacts on academic achievement, social mobility, and overall life chances.

Mind UK found that young people do not understand mental health well, and 66% of those who would benefit from receiving support do not reach out because of stigma.

In Barnsley East, we have the highest number of children, adolescents, and young adults admitted to hospital for self-harm in Yorkshire and the Humber. For every 100,000 young people, 638 are admitted.

This is almost one and a half times the national average.

The coronavirus pandemic had a widespread effect on young people’s mental health, with incidences of hospital admissions for eating disorders and self- harm rocketing. Others are still suffering with chronic and lasting mental health conditions.

Meanwhile, our NHS is at breaking point. Health staff and services do all they can to provide the care people need, but with a mental health service so severely understaffed, it is sadly not possible in the current system for people to access the help they need when they need it.

Charities and schools do so much in our local area to help young people when they need it, but they are also under immense pressure, and cannot fill in the gaps where provision is missing.

I recently spoke in a debate about incorporating suicide prevention into the national curriculum in Parliament.

Of course, this must not pile more pressure onto teachers and support staff who are already overwhelmed by the responsibilities they manage during their daily work lives.

As a former teacher, I encourage the Government to undertake a review of the Relationships, Health and Sexual Education- or RSHE- curriculum, to include suicide prevention as part of the standard syllabus already in action.

While this will not solve every mental health care issue, teaching good mental health and improving resilience from a young age will be hugely beneficial in helping young people understand the feelings and pressures they are experiencing.

This understanding could mean encouraging young people to reach out to a professional service before it’s too late.

However, the range of mental health issues is much broader than suicidal thoughts or tendencies. That is why a Labour Government would take meaningful action to change the current system.

We would recruit over 8,500 more mental health professionals to support a million more people every year.

We would implement community mental health hubs, with open access for young people. Crucially, we would make sure that every school has specialist mental health support available.

Labour know that the current system of mental health care is simply not good enough. This Government is failing our young people, and this must stop.

It’s time for a Labour Government, for our young people and for their futures.