World Homeless Day falls on the same day as World Mental Health Day each year. This might seem like a coincidence, but for us the connection is real.

Young people who have experienced homelessness are nearly three times as likely to struggle with their mental health*. 

National charity Centrepoint found that mental health issues were reported in over half (54.1%) of homeless young people, compared to 1 in 5 young people who haven’t experienced homelessness. Additionally, around a third of homeless young people (32.3%) had formal mental health diagnoses, compared to 12.8% of all 16-25 year olds. Mental health problems were found to be more likely among young people with experience of sleeping rough, and additional research showed that a third of mental health problems in adulthood are directly connected to an adverse childhood experience.

*Centrepoint, The mental health needs of homeless young people.

What are the knock on effects?

Poor knock on effects can lead to disrupted education, lower confidence around employability, difficulty forming and maintaining relationships, increased risk of substance abuse and crime, and worse physical health. It’s unsurprising that there’s a lot of overlap between this and the challenges homeless young people face.

What does this mean for young people supported by Roundabout?

We believe in the importance of intervention, and offer a variety of services tailored to each individual’s needs, because no one size fits all. Some young people might need support from multiple services, others just one. Either way, we strive to make the end result the same: supporting each young person to lead a secure, bright and independent future.

What support do we offer?

Mind Over Chatter

Our Mental Health & Wellbeing worker, Will, offers a safe space for young people who are receiving support from Roundabout to discuss their daily challenges, and provide them with the tools they need to make positive steps forward. This service offers bespoke short-term support, advice and guidance to young people who have experienced homelessness and are struggling with their mental health, to help improve their ability to manage their difficulties and reduce feelings of isolation. Find out more about Mind Over Chatter.

Counselling

Our qualified Counsellor, Nick, is available to all young people supported by Roundabout for up to 12 talking therapy sessions. He is able to support them with issues including depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, guilt, relationship issues and past trauma, through weekly online or in-person sessions. Thanks to this service being in-house, the waiting list is much shorter than counselling available through public services, which means young people can access support when they need it most.

Talk It Out

The most common challenge faced by young people and leading to homelessness is strained relationships at home. Our Mediation Service helps young people and families to foster understanding by talking and listening, ultimately aiming to resolve conflicts to create a better way to move forward together. Our Mediators are impartial, guiding conversations without taking sides. They are flexible with their approach, offering sessions in a format that suits each young person, from a phone call to a walk in the park. Talk It Out supports people to stay in their family home, or even to move back in – with 100% of young people supported last year avoiding homelessness. Find out more about Talk It Out.

If you’d like to find out more about Roundabout and the support we offer to young people facing homelessness, you can browse this site, drop in to our Prevention Service at 22 Union Street, Sheffield or call our friendly team on 0114 272 8424.

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