Gen Zs found to be more likely to suffer in silence before seeking help

A poll has revealed that the Generation Z demographic is more likely to try and deal with a serious life event themselves, instead of reaching out to others for help

Ahead of Red Nose Day Tyler West, has joined forces with the KFC Foundation to shine a light on the support that is out there (swns)

A poll of 1,000 people aged 15-25 found two-thirds (66 per cent) have either been through serious trauma or are currently experiencing one.

And nearly one in 10 (eight per cent) have never had a discussion with someone who could help them.

While those who did reach out took just over five months to ask for support and advice.

The key reasons for this include not wanting to be a “burden”, fear of being judged – and simply not knowing where to turn.

And seven in 10 believe there is a stigma around issues like mental health, homelessness, abuse, and unexpected unemployment.

The research was commissioned by the KFC Foundation to mark its partnership with Comic Relief, having raised £3 million since 2019.

Together, the charities have been raising funds in a bid to help organisations in local communities by providing safe social spaces, mentoring, employment, and social skills for young people.

Ahead of this Red Nose Day on March 17th, Strictly Come Dancing contestant and KISS Radio DJ, Tyler West, has joined forces to tackle the stigma around these issues and shine a light on the support that is out there.

Tyler West said: "I can relate to needing support and being afraid to ask for it, but I also know how much impact that support can have on a young person’s life.

"That is why the funding from Comic Relief and the KFC Foundation is so important - it translates into real life benefits for real people when they need it most.

"So this Red Nose Day, share a bucket, buy a bucket or wear a bucket hat and you can help make sure young people know they have somewhere to go.”

For those who are yet to go through any serious issues, 59 per cent claim they would try and solve it themselves before trying to get help – with only six per cent considering seeking help from local charities.

The most common concerns young people are likely to keep quiet about were mental health (38 per cent), debt trouble (34 per cent) and struggles finding work (24 per cent).

And these could leave people feeling anxious (43 per cent), worried (46 per cent) and vulnerable (37 per cent).

But 37 per cent believe there is either not very much help, or no help at all, for younger people in these circumstances.

While of the 53 per cent who have known someone going through a crisis in their life, 42 per cent said this person stayed quiet about it for “a long time”.

Positively, 52 per cent of young Brits polled via OnePoll would consider going into a profession when they are older that helps young people deal with serious issues.

Based in Blackpool, one of the organisations supported by the KFC Foundation and Comic Relief is Streetlife.

It mentors, coaches and advocates for homeless young people in the local community, helping them find their feet and a stable home so they can think about their future and take steps toward it.

Kaitlyn, 19, a beneficiary of the charitable organisation, said: “I’ve been with Streetlife since November 2021 and have pretty much been with the project every day for the past year.

"We build bonds between people and everyone gets to know each other, so it’s something I’m really grateful for.

"I believe that if more people spoke out about their experience and what they’ve been through, it would help make it easier for other people."