The Scottish Association of Young Farmers’ Clubs have unveiled their new mental health campaign “Are Ewe Okay?”.
The association will focus on raising awareness of mental wellbeing over the next twelve months by encouraging rural youth to listen, talk and share.
SAYFC’s National Chairman Stuart Jamieson commented: "One in four people in Scotland will suffer from poor mental health at some point during their life.
"Everyone has mental health, it can be good, it can be less than good but everyone’s mental health is different as well as constantly changing, depending on many different aspects."
He continued: "SAYFC has 3500 members who are aged between 14 and 30 years old so there are so many different life events and pressures going on during this period that can influence how they feel including education, relationships, employment, health and finance."
9 out of 10 young people facing poor mental health said they received negative treatment from others with nearly half noting this happened monthly, weekly or daily.
Breaking the stigma surrounding mental wellbeing
Mr Jamieson said this was key to why “Are Ewe Okay?” would be a focus for Scotland’s largest rural youth organisation.
"This statistic is one of the reasons SAYFC has chosen to encourage those all-important conversations and break the stigma surrounding mental wellbeing.
"It’s about looking out for each other by taking the time to listen, offering a situation where someone feels confident enough to talk or by sharing information to aid our members. Everyone can get involved by just asking “Are Ewe Okay?"
The campaign will be delivered regularly through social media with the aim of specifically targeting the associations audience of young people living in Scotland's rural communities.
By raising awareness of poor mental health triggers and conditions, the association hopes to aid members with the knowledge they need to recognise the signs, and how to seek help if someone is suffering.
Mr Jamieson concluded by highlighting the impacts of poor mental health across Scotland: "Scotland’s population continues to rise reaching the highest ever total in 2014 with the National Records of Scotland (NRS) estimating a population of over 5.3 million.
"We already know that one in four people in Scotland will suffer from poor mental health but to put it into context, more than 1.3 million individuals in Scotland will face mental health challenges during their lifetime.
"And at SAYFC, 25% of our membership equates to over 800 members. It is therefore more vital than ever that we raise awareness showcasing the help and support available whilst highlighting how others share the same mental health challenges."
