The Public Health Scotland Young People’s Panel met for the second time on 19th October 2021. The Panel is made up of 23 young people aged 14 to 17 years spanning over 14 different local authority areas.

This session was focused on the Explore process of YSHive.

Session objectives:

• To explore factors that impact the mental health and wellbeing of young people

• To learn about the mental health construct areas and indicators proposed by Public Health Scotland

• To reflect on the significance of these areas, prioritise them and identify any gaps missing

The insights from the young people will help guide the development work that PHS are doing towards their mental health strategic framework and shape their ambitions for the future of the organisation’s engagement with young people.

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Hot Report

Public Health Scotland

Young People’s Panel

EXPLORE Session | 19th October 2021

YSHive – Hot Report - Public Health Scotland Young People’s Panel PAGE 2

Introduction

The Public Health Scotland Young People’s Panel met for the second time on 19th

October 2021 5-7pm via Zoom. The Panel is made up of 23 young people aged 14 to

17 years spanning over 14 different local authority areas. All Panel members are first

time volunteers at Young Scot, with 7 declared BAME young people and 3 who live in

SIMD 1-2 areas.

Out of the 23 young people, 17 of the Panel

members attended, including 2 young people

from the Young Scot Health Panel. The Panel

also had the opportunity to meet Claire

Sweeney, Director for Mental Wellbeing

at Public Health Scotland (PHS).

During the session, the group did a warmup characterisation activity using the online

interactive tool, Mural, to encourage them to

consider different factors that impact a young

person’s mental health. Following this, the

group learned about Public Health Scotland’s

research on mental health construct areas

and indicators by a presentation from Dr Ross

Whitehead. The group then split into 5 groups

to participate in a smaller group activity, where

they discussed the significance of the areas and

indicators, prioritised them and identified any

gaps missing.

Session objectives:

To explore factors that impact the mental

health and wellbeing of young people

To learn about the mental health construct

areas and indicators proposed by Public

Health Scotland

To reflect on the significance of these

areas, prioritise them and identify any

gaps missing

The insights from the young people will help

guide the development work that PHS are

doing towards their mental health strategic

framework and shape their ambitions for the

future of the organisation’s engagement with

young people.

YSHive – Hot Report - Public Health Scotland Young People’s Panel PAGE 3

Characterisation activity Smaller groups activity

Which indicators do you think have

the most significant impact?

Which issues do you think are the

most common for young people?

Are there any indicators that you

feel are not as significant?

Do you think there are any indicators

that are missing in this area?

Out of the five areas, do you think

another area is also, or more,

significant? Why or why not?

Insights

Before beginning to work through the mental

health construct areas and indicators, the

young people split into four groups to explore

factors that impact a young person’s mental

health through a characterisation activity.

Each group used a Mural template to develop

a young person character and filled in four

sections to make up their character:

Having heard a presentation from Public

Health Scotland around their research on

mental health construct areas and indicators,

the group split into five smaller groups to

participate in a focus group activity.

Each group were allocated a construct

area to explore:

The purpose of this activity was to encourage

the young people to begin considering factors

that impact young people’s mental wellbeing

before delving into more detail. The young

people spent 15 minutes on this task before

returning to the main space to share

their views.

All four groups identified that the stress of

exams is a key pain point for their young

person characters. Three of the groups

highlighted the impact of family relationships;

two groups gave weight to relationships with

friends and peers; and two groups highlighted

the perception of ourselves. Other pain points

that were mentioned were environmental

dread; religious parents; social stress and

existentialism.

The groups were asked to discuss five

questions which focused on significance and

impact, common issues, prioritisation of areas

and identification of missing factors.

Each group was asked to consider:

The discussions generated in this activity are

intended to inform and shape Public Health

Scotland’s mental health strategy and provide

the organisation with insight into which

indicators are the most significant amongst

young people.

Ourselves

Family and Friends

School

Neighbourhood and Community

Wider society

Personal details (age, background,

what they do)

Personal life (what their home life

is like)

Their interests and why they’re

important

Their major worries / pain points

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Which indicators do you think have the

most significant impact?

1. Social media: The young people expressed

that there has been a shift in mentality

since TikTok came into the mainstream.

From Tiktok culture, there is too much

pressure on being “cool” and “different”

that it results in taking away from

individuality and places too much focus

on trends.

2. Healthy behaviours: The group also

expressed that the way healthy behaviours

are taught in schools places too much

pressure on young people to act as if they

never engage in these types of behaviours,

such as drinking alcohol or having sex.

They felt that there is no common ground

or practicality.

3. Sleep: One young person in the group

expressed that there are many young

people they know who go to sleep in the

early hours of the morning. This negatively

impacts their mental health but the cause

is not primarily obvious. For others in the

group, they expressed that it is common

amongst young people to brag about their

lack of sleep.

Which issues do you think are the most

common for young people?

The group did not identify any key indicator in

the Ourselves construct area as most common

because they felt that it depends on where the

young person lives. For example, they felt that

unhealthy behaviours, especially the issues of

drugs and alcohol, are more of a common issue

for young people living in more deprived areas.

The young people did place a particular

emphasis on social media and sleep as issues

they had observed amongst friends and peers.

Are there any indicators that you feel

are not as significant?

There were three indicators that the group

identified as not very significant. Firstly, the

indicator play felt confusing and not suitable

when discussing factors that impact young

people’s mental health and they suggested

that this be re-worded. They therefore felt

that play was not significant regarding the

mental wellbeing of young people.

Another indicator they felt was confusing was

learning and development. The group stated

that this is misleading as they interpreted

it as meaning educational development, or

overcoming barriers such as dyslexia. They

stated that the term is not suited to what it

intends to be and therefore does not make

sense to them.

Finally, they felt that long-term illness or/

and disability is an indicator that belongs

more in the Family and Friends area. The group

felt that this indicator isn’t a very common

issue experienced amongst young people

themselves, whereas it is seen more amongst

family members, particularly within older

generations.

Ourselves

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Do you think there are any indicators that

are missing in this area?

The group identified that the impact of video

games was missing from PHS’ mental health

indicators. The amount of time playing, and the

type of content they’re engaging in, can have

a negative impact on young people’s mental

health. The group also referred to the lack of

social interaction and connection that playing

video games can have and the negative impact

this can result in.

The group also raised the point that body

image is an indicator that belongs in the

Ourselves area more than Wider Society.

Although body image is impacted by wider

society, through social media and magazines

etc., body image varies from person to person

and stems from how we perceive ourselves.

Out of the five areas, do you think another

area is also, or more, significant? Why or

why not?

The young people felt that Neighbourhood and

Community was significant as they highlighted

two main reasons as to why the area a young

person grows up in has a profound impact on

their mental wellbeing. Firstly, the group

felt that growing up in more deprived areas

tend to have less access to opportunities

and education, causing mental health issues.

Secondly, they identified that young people

growing up in more remote areas, such as

the Highlands, also experience a lack of

access to opportunities, compared to young

people growing up in the Central Belt. Areas

of deprivation and remoteness therefore

should be considered as key indicators within

Neighbourhood and Community.

Out of all the areas, the group felt that

Ourselves, Family and Friends and School were

the most important. Although they recognised

that Neighbourhood and Community and

Wider Society have a significant impact and

could completely change a person’s mental

health, they believe that the first three areas

have more of a direct effect on young people,

as loneliness and isolation can be felt more

significantly within these areas.

Ourselves

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Which indicators do you think have the

most significant impact?

The Family and Friends group emphasised that

family relationships are of huge importance.

The group highlighted that many young people

have a different mentality to their parents and

this can cause frustrations. They expressed

that many family members are matter of

fact and stubborn with a ‘the world isn’t fair’

mentality, which can cause tension. For them,

the family dynamic needs to be understood

more from the young person’s perspective.

The young people also noted the impact that

having religious parents can have, and the

pressure placed on them to follow certain

traditions.

Which issues do you think are the most

common for young people?

The group highlighted that the most common

issue facing young people today is growing

up in a digital age and feeling raised by the

internet. The group felt that young people

learn who they are and their personality

through the internet, and this puts a lot of

pressure on young people to be older, in terms

of how they act, look and feel.

Are there any indicators that you feel are not

as significant?

The Family and Friends group expressed that

societal view of the family structure is an

unnecessary cause of tension. For example,

young people are taught that to have divorced

or single parents is not the “normal” family

unit, when it’s increasingly common and does

not automatically result in negative mental

wellbeing. Due to this, the young people did

not perceive family structure as significant as

other indicators.

Do you think there are any indicators

that are missing in this area?

The group did not identify any missing gaps in

the Family and Friends construct area, but they

did emphasise there needs to be a real focus

on getting to the root of issues, rather than

attempting to manage them once they occur.

They gave the example of channelling more

energy into making young people more secure

in themselves.

Out of the five areas, do you think another

area is also, or more, significant? Why or

why not?

Out of the five areas, this group felt that Family

and Friends was the most significant area as it

can lead to pressure to saying the right thing

to please people which can result in boundaries

not being respected. The group expressed

that they have witnessed an extensive amount

of bullying amongst friends and that bullying

awareness in schools is not thorough enough.

Family and Friends

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Which indicators do you think have the most

significant impact?

The School group expressed that exam

pressure was both a significant and common

indicator that they had observed in themselves,

their friends and their peers. The young people

also conveyed that relationships with peers at

school is extremely significant as it shapes the

classroom environment, such as when young

people are doing group work. Relationship

with peers can also have a negative impact

on wellbeing when young people fall out and

are in a negative headspace all day. The group

also highlighted that teachers do not provide

enough support with friendship fallouts.

Which issues do you think are the most

common for young people?

Three indicators were highlighted as the most

common: Lack of motivation, pressure on

post-school choices and the pressure of

extra-curricular activities. The group

emphasised the common issue of becoming

unmotivated when a young person is not

performing well at school and they begin to

feel overwhelmed. This can lead to a cycle

of finding it difficult to get up for school,

especially if the young people no longer

enjoy attending.

Post-school choices was also highlighted as a

common issue as the group felt that there is a

pressure placed on young people to know what

they want to do after school. According to the

young people, they felt that schools push the

choice of university too much; for example,

they dedicate too much time to university

applications but do not inform students of other

options, such as college or apprenticeships.

Finally, the group noted that in schools there is

extra-curricular pressure to join various clubs

which results in having a negative impact on

your mental wellbeing as well as schoolwork.

Are there any indicators that you feel are not

as significant?

As the School construct area consists of fewer

indicators, the group did not highlight any as

less significant.

Do you think there are any indicators that

are missing in this area?

The group identified that there was a lack of

emphasis on the influence of peers at school.

The group gave examples of peers influencing

how a young person may act, and post-school

choices, such as going to university.

The group also highlighted having to look a

certain way at school adds pressure onto

young people, especially if the young person

already does not feel confident. The group felt

that there were expectations to be a certain

way if you are in a certain group.

Finally, the group noted that the responsibility

of caring for a family member was a missing

indicator and noted the impact it can have if

a young person ends up missing some days at

school and becomes behind on their work and

attendance.

Out of the five areas, do you think another

area is also, or more, significant? Why or

why not?

For the young people in this group, School was

a major construct area due to the direct impact

that the school environment has on young

people.

School

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Which indicators do you think have the most

significant impact?

1. Belonging: The group expressed the

importance of a feeling of belonging to the

community and how engagement in local

activities can build this connection.

2. Engagement in local activities: If access

to these activities is limited due to a young

person’s location, not having access to

WIFI, or for other reasons, the group felt

that this can have a detrimental effect on

a young person’s wellbeing. The group

also acknowledged the impact that the

COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown had on

the ability to engage in local activities.

3. Support Services and Social Support:

The group felt that these two indicators

were closely linked as the main

consideration here is having a trusted

adult who a young person can open up to.

Many young people do not feel comfortable

confiding in their parents about some

matters, so having an external adult

presence is hugely important.

4. Safety: The group recognized that safety

is an obvious and important indicator for

both physical and mental wellbeing.

Which issues do you think are the most

common for young people?

The group identified two issues as being the

most common for young people: engagement

in local activities and access to support

services.

Like the Ourselves group, these young people

highlighted that access to local activities and

opportunities is limited to young people living

in more remote areas, which can lead to

feelings of isolation. Another facet identified

as part of this indicator is that some clubs can

become too serious, leading to young people

dropping out and so there needs to be a space

where young people can relax and wind down.

This group also discussed that they find access

to support services limited, such as through

increased waiting times, which has only been

exacerbated over lockdown. There is also the

concern that many young people do not have

the confidence to access more formal services,

such as GPs, by themselves.

Community and Neighbourhood

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Are there any indicators that you feel

are not as significant?

The Community and Neighbourhood group

provided three recommendations. Firstly,

‘belonging to neighbourhood’ should be

reworded to ‘belonging to community’. The

group expressed that neighbourhoods are

continually growing and so it is natural to not

feel a sense of connection to them. It more

significant to feel belonging to a community,

either through local groups or school for

example.

In addition, the group felt that neighbourhood

trust was not a very significant indicator as

although a young person wants to feel safe

where they live, trust in their neighbourhood

does not equate to positive mental wellbeing.

Again, they emphasise that it is more important

to feel trust at school or local groups.

Lastly, the young people suggested that the

respect of young people might be better

suited in the School category.

Do you think there are any indicates that

are missing in this area?

As highlighted above, the group felt that a

‘sense of community’ was missing from the

Community and Neighbourhood construct area.

They also stated that ‘connection’ was a more

suitable term than ‘belonging’.

They also identified that access to community

services such as leisure centres, transport and

even local job opportunities are considerations

that are missing.

Out of the five areas, do you think another

area is also, or more, significant? Why or

why not?

For this group, the Ourselves, Family and

Friends and School construct areas are of equal

importance in the lives of the young people

because they are all interlinked. The young

people also expressed that your own mental

wellbeing is important to accessing other areas

of life. The group acknowledged that mental

health issues can stem from family and friends

and that they are vital for support.

The group expressed that Community and

Neighbourhood is less significant on the impact

of young people’s mental wellbeing.

Community and Neighbourhood

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Which indicators do you think have the most

significant impact?

The Wider Society group highlighted that both

poverty and deprivation and social inclusion

are of major significance because they both

have a detrimental effect on a young person’s

ability to learn, study, and participate in school

activities. They also emphasised the impact

of the COVID19 pandemic and lockdown on

highlighting and creating a larger poverty

gap, creating social exclusion. They gave

the example of the increase of people using

foodbanks.

Which issues do you think are the most

common for young people?

Like the Ourselves group, the young people

expressed that common issues depend on

where a young person lives as poverty and

deprivation are common indicators for young

people from disadvantaged backgrounds. For

example, growing up and experiencing your

parents struggle for money can affect a young

person negatively.

The group also noted the impact of lockdown

on the crime/violence indicator due to the rise

of domestic abuse reports and that, although

there was more funding during the second

lockdown to tackle these instances, it is still

a prevalent issue. The group conveyed that

domestic abuse may be more of a common

issue due to the lockdown effects.

Are there any indicators that you feel are not

as significant?

The young people discussed that climate

change is a less significant indicator because

although it is a concern and many young

people feel passionate about this issue, they

felt that it does not have a detrimental and

personal effect on their mental wellbeing and

does not impact their everyday lives.

The group did emphasise though that all

indicators are important; it was just the case of

choosing what is most relevant to them.

Do you think there are any indicators that

are missing from this area?

The group raised an interesting point that there

is a lack of effective communication when it

comes to differing views or political stances,

such as anti-abortion protestors verbally

attacking people outside clinics. They expressed

that not enough is done to address the

intimidation used to communicate their views.

Out of the five areas, do you think another

area is also, or more, significant? Why or

why not?

The group felt that Family and Friends had a

more direct and personal impact on a young

person’s mental wellbeing. They provided the

example of the negative effect of someone you

know saying something negative towards you,

as you value their opinion more.

The general consensus across all groups is that

the Ourselves, Family and Friends and School

categories are the most significant areas that

impact the mental health of young people.

There was also a lot of reference made to the

impact of where a young person grows up and

lives, with deprived areas and remote areas

being the two major concerns.

Wider Society

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When asked if they enjoyed the

sessions the average score received

was 8.9 out of 10

When asked if they found it useful,

the average score was 8.9 out of 10

Finally, when asked if it was relevant

to them the average score was 8.6

out of 10

Feedback

The participants were emailed a Menti Evaluation to complete in their own time

following the session taking place. As well as getting a chance to say what they liked

aboutthe session and what they would have improved, they were also asked what

they had learned from the workshop and what they would like to see happen from

their involvement. 10 participants responded.

The young people were asked to rate the

session on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being not

at all and 10 being 100% yes.

The participants stated a variety of things they

enjoyed about taking part in the session,

including working with others in smaller

breakout groups and the discussions these

led to.

The group also highlighted that they enjoyed

hearing everyone’s different opinions and

experiences and discussing various factors that

impact the mental health of young people.

When asked if there was anything that could

be improved about the session, they pointed

out that, although they understood the need

for smaller groups discussing an allocated

construct area, they felt like some of the group

may have had more knowledge of another area

that they were not allocated. The group also

reiterated that they would like more regular

sessions.

Most of the young people shared that they had

learned more about mental health indictors

and how they fit into everyday life; how

mental health affects people in different aspect

of life; about other people’s experiences and

how to be more considerate of that.

When asked if they had anything else to share,

one young person stated that they really

enjoyed the session, whilst three young people

reiterated that they wish there were more

regular sessions.

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Next Steps

The Public Health Scotland Young People’s Panel met again for their CREATE and DISRUPT

sessions. The group created ideas for Public Health Scotland’s proposed mental health strategic

framework. The young people also provided recommendations on how the organisation can

continue to engage with young people in specific areas of work, strategy and decision-making

and as an organisation overall.

The Panel will meet with Public Health Scotland staff in the new year for their final session

as part of the ACT stage of the #YSHive process.

Young Scot

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Edinburgh

EH3 8EG

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