SHOCKING statistics detailing the extent of mental health problems in youngsters reveals more must be done to remove the stigma about such conditions.

Cyndi Hughes, Darlington Borough Council’s cabinet member for children and young people, is using Mental Health Awareness Week to highlight the plight of thousands of the region's children suffering from mental health problems.

Currently Darlington is higher than the both regional and national average when it comes to young people admitted to hospital for mental health reasons.

Hospital admissions for self-harm amongst ten to 24-year-olds in the borough is 360.6 per 100,000 of the population - higher than the regional and national average.

The most common self-harm admissions are due to self-poisoning with common household medicines such as paracetamol.

Figures also show the rate of increase in self-harm admissions in Darlington has been faster than the rate of increase for England and the North-East region and Cllr Hughes wants to heighten awareness and remove the stigma associated with mental health.

“I think young people are more than willing to be open about issues that concern them, but it is young people themselves that have said to me we need to run an anti-stigma campaign," she said.

“Really it is about us talking about things and being more open about it (mental illness).

“In the last 30-years I have lived here, this country has changed dramatically and I think the whole ‘stiff upper lip’ thing isn’t as prevalent.

“But I don’t know why there is still a stigma about mental health.

“It might have something to do with the fact that someone might think it makes them weak.

“And there is no quick fix, if you break a bone you can go and have it set, but mental health is such a broader, more complicated area, that some people don’t know where to begin.”

Cllr Hughes highlighted social media as one development that may be affecting youngsters’ mental well-being.

She said that children could always ‘switch off’ their mobiles and not look at negative social media postings but conceded that many youngsters would not consider abandoning their devices so were permanently open to potentially damaging online comments.

The Healthwatch organisation in Darlington is already working to gather the views of young people on mental health issues and make improvements.

Darlington CCG has also worked with other agencies to develop a five-year plan to improve the mental health and emotional wellbeing of youngsters across the borough.

For more information on mental health and the campaigns, visit time-to-change.org or youngminds.org