AN estimated 10,000 young people across Greater Manchester are unhappy with their lives, according to a new study. HELENA VESTY reports on how social media, school and self harm are affecting young people in Bolton.

CHILDREN’S happiness with life is at its lowest since 2009, according to new figures by The Children’s Society, with an estimated 10,000 young people in Greater Manchester alone reported to be unhappy with their lives.

Volunteers working in Bolton say mental health concerns are surfacing in the area in ever-increasing numbers, with self-harm being one of the biggest concerns for both young girls and boys.

Zac’s Youth Bars provide support and activities for young people ages eight to 18 from Bolton, with a presence in Farnworth, Kearsley and Little Lever. With mental health concerns emerging as a major issue in Bolton’s young people, the organisation set up its Young Persons Listening Service and Healthy Minds peer support group in 2017 to target the issue in the area, among its roster of other services.

Matt Moreton, CEO of Zac’s Youth Bars, spoke to The Bolton News about what the team is working with on the ground.

The most significant and frequent problem the youth workers are seeing in Bolton is that of loneliness and self-harm.

Mr Moreton said: “The connection between loneliness and suicide or self-harm is sky high, according to our research. One third of young people in Bolton said they were lonely and almost half of those have considered self harm or suicide.

“Self harm is being used as an escape or to distract from the pain young people are feeling. We’re seeing that young people just don’t know how to connect with each other without social media.

“Boys in particular tend to feel less able to talk to people about things. Typically it’s seen as acceptable for boys to hit the wall in anger but actually that’s a form of self harm. If a girl starts picking at her hand it’s seen as a problem, it needs to be the same for boys. We’re seeing that mental health in boys manifests itself in fights and negative behaviours when they’re not able to talk about their problems.

“We’re finding that self harm also is the most common problem for girls we see. They’re using self harm to relieve pressure and use it as a way of showing people they have got problems. They might not be able to put it into words, but they can show the scars to say “help me”.”

Zac’s Youth Bars’ research indicates that around 13,956 children are living in poverty in Bolton, which is also adding add to mental health concerns.

Mr Moreton said: “This has led to young people sometimes feeling looked down upon, ignored, judged, let down, and perhaps even persecuted, resulting in young people who are socially isolated and searching for a place to belong. When they feel that no such place exists, loneliness and its associated mental health problems increase.”

But Mr Moreton says that the higher numbers come as a result of young people feeling more able to reach out and seek help for their feelings. He said: “The problem has always been there, there is just more of a willingness to talk and share about it which is a positive.”

The community leader said that volunteer groups are vital to address low level mental health concerns which would not be referred to serious child and adolescent mental health services (CAHMS).

Rather than avoiding social media, Zac’s Youth Bars has incorporated the platforms as a way of making their services more accessible to young people.

Mr Moreton said: “It’s a tool that increases young people’s self confidence, they can make new friends and connect with people and services.

“If young people don’t feel confident enough to talk face to face, they can send messages. We have used Facebook, it;’s a good way of starting that relationship.”

Testimonies from those who have been helped by Zac’s Youth Bars show that the system is working and young people in Bolton are getting the right help for them.

One young person received support from the group’s Listening Service for 18 months after being referred by youth workers.

The 16-year-old was exhibiting signs of depression, eating problems, self harm, and panic attacks. The teenager connected with the service through Facebook to establish a relationship and was then encouraged to attend in person.

After help from the service, she recently reported that has now been clear from self harm, saying: “I have not hurt myself for over a week now.

“I find that hard as it was my way of control but working with Jade and Barbara from the team had really helped.”

Before coming to Zac’s session, one 13-year-old suffered from loneliness and often had thoughts of harming herself.

She took part in various health and wellbeing activities, creating portraits and images of what or how she feels and talking through them.

“Zac’s helped me think about how I am with people," she said. "I learned how to cope with my anger more and have something to do.”