More than 70 professionals from across the healthcare, education and mental health sectors came together in Ilkley for a Mental Health Forum exploring the wellbeing of young men and boys.
The event, jointly hosted by Keighley and Ilkley MP Robbie Moore and local GP Dr Caroline Rayment of Grange Park Surgery, marked the second consecutive year the pair have organised the forum, building on the success of last year's event.
This year's discussions centred on the growing challenges facing young men and boys, a topic that organisers said has become increasingly prominent both in clinical practice and in national conversations around mental health.
The forum featured a keynote address and question-and-answer session with Dr Luke Evans MP, Shadow Minister for Health and Social Care, who has campaigned on men's mental health issues.
Attendees also heard from a panel of local experts including Dr Tom Bewick, a local GP, Simon Ford, Deputy Headteacher at Ilkley Grammar School, Anthony Casson, Strategic Coordinator for Bradford Council Youth Service, and Lisa Stead, Clinical Lead for the Mental Health Support Team in West Bradford.
The forum followed last year's event, which examined the impact of smartphones and social media on young people's mental health.
Speaking after the event, Robbie Moore MP said:
"It's been a privilege working alongside Dr Caroline Rayment in delivering our second Mental Health Forum.
"This year, we focused on the mental health and wellbeing of young men and boys, exploring the challenges they face and how we as a community can better support them.
"Men and young boys face a silent crisis in mental health, shown by high suicide rates and rising loneliness.
"Unfortunately, many boys often grow up learning to hide their feelings instead of asking for help, and many existing services often fail to reach men before a mental health and wellbeing crisis happens."
Dr Caroline Rayment added:
"It was a great afternoon talking about boys and young men's mental health.
It's a really important topic, I don't think we talk about it enough, and we sometimes find it really hard to support those young people."
The organisers say they hope the forum will strengthen collaboration between local organisations and help improve the support available to young men and boys across the area, while continuing the conversation around mental health in the wider community.
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