Boys are suffering in silence, says mental health charity TIC+

Kerryann and Ben told BBC Radio Gloucestershire they did not understand why more boys were not reaching out to them for help

A charity that has helped almost 4,000 people with their mental health say some boys in the area are "suffering in silence".

TIC+ offers support and counselling, but said only 30% of those accessing its services were male.

The help available could make "life and death" differences in some cases, the Mitcheldean-based charity says.

Its outreach scheme is focusing on males aged nine to 25 in some of Gloucester's most deprived areas.

The Levelling Up Together initiative, launched by Gloucestershire County Council, will allow TIC+ to help tackle the disparity in those who access its service by introducing an outreach and engagement programme.

Formerly named Teens in Crisis, TIC+s targeted programme Boys in Mind operates in Barton & Tredworth, Kingsholm & Wotton, Podsmead, Tuffley, Westgate, and Cinderford.

In order to reach more young men, it wants to hear from community groups about events in the county where it can connect with youngsters who may not already know about the service.

"We want to know what's stopping you, why can you not reach out? Is it the stigma... is it just that you don't know that we're here?" was TIC+ Youth Outreach and Engagement Officer Kerryann's plea on BBC Radio Gloucestershire.

"This service is there, it's free... we've got the technology out there where it doesn't need to be face to face, it can be online, it can be through text messaging.

"And it's such a shame that these boys and young men are still suffering in silence."

Anxiety, depression, isolation, and gang-related issues, are all issues TIC+ deals with

The mental health of young people has been in the spotlight for a while, particularly in terms of the group's social media use.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been accused of misleading the public about the risks of using social media and contributing to a mental health crisis among youth.

Meta argued in a federal case in the US that it provided "teens with safe, positive experiences online" and had "already introduced over 30 tools to support teens and their families".

Anxiety, depression, isolation, and gang-related issues, were all issues that TIC+ could help with, Kerryann said.

"It can just make such a massive difference, in some cases you're talking literally life and death," she added.

The charity wants to level up mental health provision across disadvantaged areas to prevent deterioration in mental wellbeing and work towards reducing incidents of self-harm and suicidal thoughts among young men.

The TIC+ Boys in Mind project aims to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of mental ill health, ensure young males know about the support available, and to encourage them to seek help at an early stage to prevent issues becoming embedded in later life.

• If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this story you can visit BBC Action Line.