Visiting your GP: A guide for young people with lived experience of self-harm and suicidality

It can be difficult to find the right words to talk about self-harm or suicidal thoughts and experiences with a medical professional. It can also be difficult to ask for help.

In this panel discussion, we will discuss the support available to young people before, during and after a GP visit. Attendees will also get the hear from members of the youth advisory group involved in creating a new guide to help young people talk to their GP about self-harm and suicidal experiences. 

Panel includes; 

Dr Ann Luce (chair)

Dr Ann Luce is an Associate Professor in Journalism and Communication at Bournemouth University. She is the UK National Representative to the International Association of Suicide Prevention and a steering group member of the National Suicide Prevention Alliance. She is co-author of the Responsible Suicide Reporting Model and its accompanying toolkit for journalists and journalism educators: www.suicidereportingtoolkit.com. She works closely with Public Health England and the NHS.

Lizzie Mitchell

Lizzie is a member of the Youth Advisory Group at the Institute for Mental Health and contributed to the co-design of the GP guide. She has also been involved in several other youth involvement and co-production studies and hosts her own research podcast. She graduated this year with a psychology degree, has experience working as a healthcare assistant in general and mental health hospitals, and is now working as a Trainee PWP in CAMHS.  

Charlie Tresadern

Charlie is a member of the  Youth Advisory Group at the Institute for Mental Health and contributed to the co-design of the GP guide. He is passionate about youth involvement and co-production in research and practice.

Dr Maria Michail

Dr Michail is a Senior Research Fellow in the Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham where she leads an established programme of research on youth suicide prevention. She is the co-Chair of the International Association for Suicide Prevention Special Interest Group “Suicide Prevention in Primary Care”.

Niyah Campbell

Niyah Campbell holds the post of Youth Involvement Co-Lead at the Institute for Mental Health, School of Psychology, University of Birmingham. Niyah supports the involvement of young people with lived experience of mental health difficulty across various aspects of the Institute for Mental Health’s work and is passionate about facilitating the meaningful involvement of young people in the design, delivery and dissemination of youth mental health research.