News / ‘Don’t bottle it up’ launch
A NEW campaign raising awareness of mental health issues in young people is taking place across Shetland this week.
Charity Mind Your Head has teamed up with Brae High School pupil Imogen Leslie and local business Art Machine to create a series of posters depicting conditions like depression and anxiety.
Mind Your Head’s Anouska Civico and Loren Manson of Shetland Islands Council’s youth services will tour schools around the isles this week to discuss the posters with primary and secondary school children.
The Don’t Bottle It Up campaign is taking place during the annual mental health awareness week and it hopes to normalise the thoughts and feelings young people may have.
Imogen initially drew characters representing depression, self-confidence, stress and anxiety before they were made into digital artwork.
She said she started drawing them when she was feeling down.
“Instead of sitting and doing nothing, I decided to draw these characters and give them the feelings that were making me upset,” Imogen said.
“In seeing these characters which were based off my emotions made me smile instead of feeling low. I didn’t expect anyone to see these four characters, I drew them for myself.
“At school one day I decided to show my school youth worker Loren and now it is a big campaign which I feel very proud of bit I am also nervous.”
The campaign will culminate with an event at Lerwick’s Islesburgh Community Centre on Friday from 1pm where a presentation will be given on its origins and impact, while it will provide a chance for people to meet other agencies working with youths.
Civico said it was a “real privilege” to work with Imogen on the project.
“These posters will help other people to identify their own thoughts and feelings and realise that these are normal and that they are not alone in their struggles,” she said.
“Talking to others seems to be a key factor in helping people manage their own mental health and that’s exactly what this campaign is encouraging.”
Manson added: “We want mental health to be a regular conversation at home over the tea table. Quite often children show physical signs, which can be misinterpreted as being a bug or sickness.
“This is a good reminder to families and staff that sometimes it is coming from somewhere else.”
Art Machine managing director Jonny Polson said he was “immediately interested” in helping out after seeing Imogen’s drawings.
“There is a sadness of how she feels all of these negative emotions and that made me really want to get involved in boosting this campaign to raise awareness and let young people know that it’s okay to speak about their feelings and emotions,” he said.
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