Jewish helpline warns of surge in self harm and suicide concerns among young people
'Levels of despair we have never seen before': helpline for 11-24 year olds sees 50% increase in alarming messages in just five years
JTeen, the UK’s helpline supporting Jewish young people, has reported a surge in messages about self-harm and suicidal thoughts, revealing the highest levels of distress seen since the service began five years ago.
In 2020, around four percent of teens reaching out to the charity were struggling with self-harm or suicidal ideation. That number has risen to more than seven percent, an almost 50 percent increase in five years. This past year, more than 400 young people have contacted JTeen expressing thoughts of harming themselves.
“We are seeing levels of despair we have never seen before,” said Yaakov Barr, psychotherapist and JTeen chief executive. “The messages are darker, more urgent, and more hopeless. These are not cries for attention, they are cries for relief from unbearable emotional pain. What used to be occasional has become nightly. We are witnessing a generation at breaking point.”
While self-harm among teens has long been a concern, the intensity and frequency of suicidal ideas has escalated sharply, reflecting a wider national pattern of worsening youth mental health.
Recent national studies show that more than one in four young people in the UK report having mental health struggles, with self-harm and suicide attempts among teenagers continuing to rise.
To respond to the growing crisis, JTeen has expanded its volunteer division and introduced new specialist training focused on managing high risk and suicidal presentations.
The charity has also widened its reach beyond secondary schools through the launch of JStudent, offering young people aged 18-24, a place to turn when loneliness, pressure, or emotional pain become overwhelming.
Ari Leaman, JTeen’s safeguarding lead, said: “The rise we are seeing is deeply concerning. It is not just the numbers, it is the intensity of distress. We are hearing from young people who feel completely trapped, who have lost all sense of hope. As safeguarding professionals, we are doing everything possible to ensure that every contact is treated with the utmost seriousness and care. But we also need a wider community response. Prevention must start long before crisis hits.”
In light of these statistics, JTeen is strengthening its prevention work through its new three volume, ‘Mastering Your Mind’ workbook and curriculum, now being rolled out in schools nationwide. The project helps students build resilience, self-awareness, and emotional tools to manage distress before it spirals into crisis.
Safeguarding trustee Riki Greenberg added: “Every number represents a life. We cannot accept a future where feeling suicidal becomes normal for teenagers.
“We must act, in our homes, our schools, and our communities, to equip young people with the strength and support they need to survive and to thrive.”
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