A community venture that will support a fully-inclusive approach to mental health for children and young people across the island will be launched today (Tuesday).

The aim is to provide residents, aged five to 30, with the tools, training and treatment to identify warning signs and aid their recovery.

Isle Listen will start with a pilot year during which it will work closely with some schools. After that, the project will be rolled out to all schools in the island.

Project lead Annabel Chambers said: ’Isle Listen was created from a suggestion made by one of our service users, who from his experience of going through school and suffering with his mental health felt that there could have been more support provided.

’The aim is to support a fully inclusive approach to mental health and psychological wellbeing for young people on the Isle of Man.’

She said early intervention and prevention was key to Isle Listen: ’School is the perfect place to be able to work with young people and spot the signs that they might be struggling,’ she said.

’Schools are already doing great work to support young people, alongside the Department of Education and Isle Listen is a close collaboration between the government and third sector.’

She explained Isle Listen is supported by the clinical reputation of MCH Psychological Services, the same team that has provided mental health support on the island through Manx Cancer Help for the last 35 years. The therapists are professional and qualified individuals who receive support and supervision from the overall accredited service.

Lorcan O’Mahony, aged 29, was diagnosed with depression when he was 16 and struggled with it through sixth form and university.

It was him that suggested the idea for Isle Listen.

He said Isle Listen would have made a big difference to him if it had been available to him: ’It would have allowed me to accept, process, and understand a lot of my thoughts as a child and a teenager, in a much healthier way, and would have allowed me to progress through adulthood with skills that even now evade me.

’It would have equipped me for the modern world in a way that I can’t even imagine now. For those children who have no support network, and no level of understanding from the adults around them. I don’t think the difference this can make could ever be underestimated.’

He added: ’Isle Listen, even by reaching one child in the right way, could go on to save a life that could then go on to positively affect so many more. By reaching a classroom, or a school, or an island - imagine the effect that could have.’

Anyone interested in being involved with the project should email get [email protected]