Consistent support is a better solution

“ It took me a long time to find a place that actually helped me. Tellmi helped me understand that I was not alone”

This year, the Tellmi Annual Impact Survey explored how people seek support for their mental health. More than 1,200 Tellmi users responded to the survey and 95% of them told us that they struggled to find support for their mental health. The shortage of early help for people with mental health issues has serious social consequences.

Employment is a protective factor for all aspects of human health, but getting and keeping a job is much more difficult for people with mental health issues. In our survey 61% of our respondents had been absent from school, university or work.

Navigating existing support services requires a great deal of resilience and patience; 21% of respondents were on waiting lists for help and a further 22% had been turned away because they did not meet treatment thresholds. Being referred for treatment and then being told you are ‘not sick enough’ to receive help has an emotional impact on young people; 33% of respondents felt that their needs were not taken seriously and 25% felt judged. 

“I have been trying to get support but the waiting list is very long and it took me 4 years to even get a referral” 

A quarter (25%) of respondents had been seen by Child and Adolescent or Adult Mental Health Services in the previous six months and 12% had paid for therapy privately but the predominant 1-2-1 or group counselling model is time-limited, and 36% of those who got professional support felt that it wasn’t enough and that they still require further support. People who are struggling with their mental health need consistent support, not an hour a week on a Wednesday. 

Tellmi is a 24/7, 365 day support system with moderators and counsellors available every day between 8.30am and 11pm. It provides children and adults with immediate access to anonymous, pre-moderated, age-banded peer support and counsellors intervene preemptively to respond privately to high-risk posts. Commissioned by the NHS, Tellmi is free at the point of use and there are no waiting lists. It’s a scalable support solution that benefits users and benefits other support services too; 40% of respondents who have a mental health issue don’t use any other mental health services and 20% have been less reliant on other NHS services since they started using Tellmi.

“truly beneficial :) helped me through some really hard times and offers so many resources when just talking isn’t enough” 

To learn more about Tellmi and how we can create an evidence-based and effective support system in your area please contact us. 

These results come from 1,223 responses to The 20-Questions survey collected in the first half of 2024 from users aged 11+.