Beyond the Clinic: Faith and Young People's Mental Health
4 in 5
Young people used spiritual practises
Faith-based, spiritual or reflective practices were used to help cope with stress.
£95m
Estimated NHS savings
Just six British Muslim-led mental health charities alone reached at least 224,000 people since their establishment.
Report summary
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Contrary to common beliefs about the shrinking role of faith in British society, this report highlights an ongoing need to incorporate faith-literate approaches into young people’s mental health care. Regardless of their faith or beliefs, 67% of young people polled agreed that acknowledging faith can improve wellbeing support. A further 60% would like to see more mental health services that understand or apply faith-sensitive approaches. The report explores young people’s views on the role of faith in mental health care. This is supplemented by interviews with experts and community leaders across the country, with their long experience of providing inclusive mental health support that caters to Britain’s diverse communities. The report calls for more faith-literate NHS offerings on youth mental health, to improve prevention, outcomes (for those of all faiths and none) and to help more cost-effective delivery. |
“[Faith-informed services] provide trusted spaces, mobilise volunteers, convene across generations and offer a depth of pastoral support that is not easily be replicated elsewhere. Too often, that contribution is treated as peripheral to public life rather than part of the social infrastructure that helps people through difficult times.”
Zoë Franklin MP
Chair, APPG on Faith and Society;
Liberal Democrat Local Government Spokesperson
KEY REPORT FINDINGS
What the numbers say
£19b out of £300b
Mental ill health cost England £300 billion in 2022. For only young people aged 20 and under, this cost amounted to £19 billion.
73% protected by faith
Four in five of respondents aged 16-24 with a faith said that their faith gives them a sense of belonging and strength in difficult times.
Only 2.6% completion
Only 2.6% of Muslims completed their NHS Talking Therapies. The lowest completion rate compared to other faith groups.
“To understand that context [of their faith] and be able to weave it into your conversation can make the client feel like, ‘I’ve come to the right place. This person understands me’. And that sigh of relief is so important.”
Sarah Gulamhusein
Counselling and Psychotherapy Service Manager, Inspirited Minds