The Power of Peer Support
Tellmi 2025 Impact Report
Every year, Tellmi conducts an impact survey that provides insights into who uses Tellmi and why. Our latest impact report (N=1035) highlights how Tellmi’s digital premoderated peer-to-peer support model has become an entry point to support for so many young people. By reducing barriers to support, Tellmi is engaging young people who would not otherwise get the help that they need.
29% are accessing mental health support for the first time.
38% state that Tellmi is their only source of support.
“I think this is a great resource to start with if someone is struggling to ask for help.”
It is not easy to get mental health support in the UK. Many young people aren’t sure what they need, where to go for help, or whether how they are feeling is serious enough.
“I felt kind of intimidated by the help call lines and chats, I didn’t feel like my situation was serious enough to bother them”
Even when they know they need help, it doesn't mean they will get it. There are over five times as many children and young people in contact with mental health services now as there were in April 2016. Today, 1 in 5 young people has a diagnosable mental health issue, and waiting lists for traditional 1-2-1 support can be 45 weeks or more, and yet ICBs have been tasked to cut costs by reducing workforces by up to 50%. One in four Tellmi users have found it difficult to access NHS support and one in five are on NHS waiting lists.
24% found it difficult to access support from other services
20% of Tellmi users are on an NHS waiting list
In this environment, low-cost, scalable, and accessible solutions such as Tellmi are an absolute necessity.
39% use Tellmi because there are no waiting lists
23% use Tellmi because there are no assessments
Peer support’s defining feature is that it is conceptually and practically separate from formal mental health care, which is conventionally provided by qualified clinical professionals. Trying Tellmi is a much lower risk investment for a young person who is uncertain about what they need. Because it is anonymous and free to access, young people feel less intimidated about the idea of giving it a go.
“I really like the usernames and how they’re all weird because then no one feels pressured to put their name or something else”
When you make it easy to access anonymous, evidence-based, mental health support, you inevitably increase the number of young people with more serious mental health challenges who use your service.
88% struggle with anxiety
77% are dealing with depression
63% experience suicidal thoughts
50% self-harm
40% are actively suicidal
Because human moderators screen and risk assess all posts and replies, unhelpful content is filtered out and high-risk posts can be immediately transferred to a qualified counsellor. This model enables us to safely de-escalate crises in real time, keeping young people safe and alleviating the pressure on frontline NHS services and crisis teams.
98% of people experiencing high-risk situations were supported without the need for external referral.
“You get personal messages from a counsellor. It’s free and you dont speak or meet face 2 face but you get a lot more answers on how to deal with your own demons.”
By extension, you will also engage higher numbers of young people from disadvantaged or marginalised groups. These young people are statistically more likely to experience mental health concerns but are less likely to seek mental health support.
90% of Tellmi users have experienced an adverse life experience
67% have been bullied
52% of Tellmi users are members of the LGBTQ+ community
48% of Tellmi users have a life-limiting health condition or disability
45% have been bereaved through the loss of a family member or friend
45% have experienced emotional abuse
23% are young carers
23% receive free school meals
20% have experienced sexual abuse
18% have experienced domestic violence
17% are living with someone with a serious mental illness
15% have an autism diagnosis, 13% are on a waiting list for diagnosis
13% have experienced the death by suicide of a family member
5% are living in care
1% are refugees or asylum seekers
Tellmi’s digital-and-human hybrid solution is evidenced to facilitate safe, natural, peer-to-peer interactions that build confidence, increase social connectedness and improve mental health self-management skills. The success of our model proves that when you give young people the tools that they need, they can help themselves and each other.
94% of users find Tellmi helpful.
50% of users use Tellmi to help others,
48% use Tellmi because it helps them to realise they are not the only person struggling
28% feel better about themselves when they support other users
“I know this app can help a lot of people who can’t speak to close people they know”
Tellmi is a place where young people can share their experiences, in their own words, to help each other to feel less anxious, less lonely and more understood. Improving youth mental health is an NHS priority but our 2025 impact data proves that when you create a safe and engaging peer-to-peer support platform, young people can do a lot of the heavy lifting all by themselves.
“I would like to say that I have had no negative expreriences at all using Tellmi. I feel like it being completely anonymous is a huge factor in what makes it so comfortable to use, everyone is extremely kind and understanding, and I enjoy helping people. I would also like to take the chance to say that you guys have truly made an amazing app that really helps people and shows the importance of mental health and that everyone deserves someone to talk to, and you are wonderful people. it has helped me get advice on things that I was too afraid to post on other more public and judgemental apps or with people in person!! Thank you <3”