Why Community-Based Mental Health Solutions Like Tellmi Are Vital for Young People
Mental health issues among young people are reaching a critical point. In the UK, one in five young people now struggles with a mental health problem. Between 2011 and 2022, hospital admissions for self-harm increased by 37% for teens aged 15-19, and by 50% for children aged 10-14. The NHS is so overwhelmed that around one-third of these referrals are rejected because treatment thresholds are now so high.
The future of youth mental health lies in scalable, peer-led, tech-enabled support networks; solutions that are not only cost-effective but also deeply human.
Tellmi is a scalable alternative to overstretched 1-2-1 treatments models. Pre-moderated peer support with counsellor intervention for high risk ensures that everyone gets immediate access to appropriate support. Since 2017, Tellmi has supported over 100,000 young users, helping them cope with issues like anxiety, depression, self-harm, and even suicidal thoughts. It’s more than an app; it’s a growing community, and a powerful tool for building emotional resilience and self-management skills.
Thomas’s story
As a 16-year-old dealing with poverty, family instability, bullying, and emotional neglect, Thomas struggled for years with anxiety, depression, and self-harm. Despite reaching out for help, he was repeatedly let down: canceled counselling appointments, broken systems, and friends who didn’t seem to care. Like many others, he felt alone in his struggle, until he found Tellmi.
On the app, he was able to express himself anonymously, share his feelings without judgment, and receive empathy from people going through similar experiences. That anonymity gave him the courage to open up. The responses he received weren’t polished or clinical, they were raw, real, and most importantly, human.
This kind of peer-to-peer support fills a gap that clinical services cannot always reach. Where traditional systems may treat a young person as a case number, Tellmi treats them as a person. Its community is built on shared experience, mutual support, and the understanding that mental health struggles don’t need to be handled in isolation.
Thomas summed it up best when he said:
“Knowing there's someone real on the other side of the screen, someone scared and hurt and in pain the same way you are, makes you feel less alone.”
And Thomas’s journey didn’t just stop at recovery. After using Tellmi to help manage his mental health, he began recommending it to friends and encouraging others to seek support through the app. In 2023, he joined the Tellmi Youth Advisory Board, contributing to co-creation projects, webinars, and research into how AI compares with real peer-to-peer support.
Tellmi hasn’t just offered Thomas a place to talk; it has given him hope, purpose, and a sense of belonging, and now he’s helping others do the same. Thomas is now thriving, studying media at Coventry University, and helping to shape the future of mental health support for young people.