Boys were eight times less likely to seek help from Childline for suicidal thoughts during the pandemic than girls, new data shows.

The NSPCC said staff had carried out 103 counselling sessions with boys over the past two years in Scotland, compared with 891 sessions for girls.

Overall, girls were four times more likely to talk to the charity about mental health, with 2,054 sessions on mental health taking place, compared with 493 for boys.

Counsellors said boys described feeling isolated in their experiences and being embarrassed to seek help because of perceptions that males must be strong.

The charity is targeting boys with a new campaign incorporating clips from the world of sport, to try to encourage them to seek help at the earliest opportunity.
One boy, who did contact the service, told a counsellor: “I’m feeling suicidal, depressed and rubbish.

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“I tried to kill myself recently but got talked out of it. My dad is really violent and has been hurting me for years. I usually miss school when he leaves marks on me.

"I’ve also been arguing with my step-dad and sometimes it gets quite bad. I usually sit and play computer games to distract myself from it all.”

Data obtained by the Scottish Liberal Democrats showed some young children and teenagers have been waiting longer than two years for mental health treatment, with one young person waiting seven years to receive help in Scotland.

Alex Cole-Hamilton, party leader, said he had uncovered data showing the extent of waiting times facing some young people across the coutry's 14 health boards.

Through Freedom of Information requests and analysis, Mr Cole-Hamilton revealed that one young person in NHS Grampian, who started treatment this year, had waited 2,534 days - 6 years and 11 months, - for their care to begin .

Mental health minister Kevin Stewart said lengthy waits were not acceptable, but pointed to the £40m funding provided this year by the Scottish Government to tackle the issue.

Alex Gray, service head of Childline, said: “At Childline, we know how hard it can be for children to speak out about their mental health.

“In particular, it can be really challenging for boys, due to the pressures they feel around not showing emotion and appearing strong, due to toxic masculinity.

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“At Childline, we want to remind all children that sharing their mental health concerns with a trusted adult or a Childline counsellor is a brave thing to do, and it will enable them to get the help and support they need.

“Talking about mental health issues early on can prevent things escalating and can save a young person’s life.

“We hope that by putting the spotlight on male mental health we can help boys understand that they are not alone. 

“Which is why Childline has launched its ‘We All Feel It’ campaign, to support young males who are struggling to speak about their mental health, and to help them before they reach crisis point.”