Listen to what young people tell us about their needs now

Instead of thinking about what they can achieve and accomplish in the future – which could increase anxiety, stress, and depression, adding more to their vulnerable mental health state of mind – we, as youth workers, should consider how we can support and work with young people in this time of need.

Thoughts of the future

The nature of our profession means we want to assist young people to make things better while creating a sense of hope and achievement. These are important thought-provoking questions in a world without coronavirus, but the uncertainty of these challenging times means it is dangerous and risky territory to be asking young people to start thinking about what they want to achieve in the future. Questions about the future create a busy and active mind, however, psychologists suggest this can be a distraction to what is really happening in a young person’s life.