According to data from Mental Health Innovations, the charity that runs the Shout service, 60% of those who text for support are children and young people, and almost half had not spoken to anyone about their mental health before.
Kane Hazard, the NHS Partnerships manager at the charity, said he hoped the service would provide people who needed to reach out a way to do it that was more immediate and did not mean they had to speak to someone face-to-face or over a phone call.
“We know that reaching out on the phone or in person can be difficult. Texting provides a discreet, accessible way for people to ask for support whenever they need it.”
The service is free on most major mobile networks and is available to people of all ages.
