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If you are worried that your child is at immediate risk, or they have already made a suicide attempt or been seriously injured:
Call your local NHS mental health helpline (England only) for urgent information and advice. Your local NHS helpline can provide support and advice, and help your child access the right care. This service is open 24/7.
For mental health support:
For domestic abuse support:
For food or housing support
Contact The Trussell Trust for emergency help with food. Search for your local foodbank online.
Urgent helplines for children and young people
If you’re under 19 you can confidentially call, chat online or email about any problem big or small.
Sign up for a free Childline locker (real name or email address not needed) to use their free 1-2-1 counsellor chat and email support service.
Can provide a BSL interpreter if you are deaf or hearing-impaired.
Hosts online message boards where you can share your experiences, have fun and get support from other young people in similar situations.
Offers mental health support and advice, help to speak to a mental health professional, and can arrange an assessment to help decide on the best course of care.
Whatever you’re going through, you can contact the Samaritans for support.
N.B. This is a listening service and does not offer advice or intervention.
Text SHOUT to 85258.
Shout provides free, 24/7 text support for young people across the UK experiencing a mental health crisis.
All texts are answered by trained volunteers, with support from experienced clinical supervisors.
Texts are free from EE, O2, Vodafone, 3, Virgin Mobile, BT Mobile, GiffGaff, Tesco Mobile and Telecom Plus.
Texts can be anonymous, but if the volunteer believes you are at immediate risk of harm, they may share your details with people who can provide support.
Please note: From the 1 April 2023, texting ‘YM’ to 85258 will no longer be available to use. You can still use Shout as a support service for your mental health.
Shout is a separate and external organisation from YoungMinds.
Shout
The Mix is the UK’s leading support service for young people. They help young people take on any challenge they are facing – from mental health to money, from homelessness to finding a job, from break-ups to drugs. You can talk to them via their online community, on social, through their free, confidential helpline or our counselling service.
Call The Mix (for ages 10 to 25) on 0808 808 4994. You can also email, live 1:1 chat between 3pm-12am or text THEMIX on 85258.
The Papyrus HOPELINE, supports young people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts. Anyone can feel suicidal and it can be for any reason. Suicidal thoughts can occur even if life feels like it’s going well. This can lead to feelings of guilt; especially if you compare yourself to others who you imagine have it worse than you.
Some people feel suicidal if they’re struggling to come to terms with the death of someone else. The death might have happened under any circumstances but if you have been bereaved by suicide, you might have suicidal thoughts yourself. You may be finding it hard to talk to anyone about how you are struggling, or you are feeling hopeless about getting help.
Papyrus is the national charity dedicated to the prevention of young suicide – the biggest cause of death in people under 35. They provide confidential support and advice to young people struggling with thoughts of suicide, and anyone worried about a young person through the helpline,