Gumboot Friday Support Reaches 7.1% of Bay Youth, Above National Rate

Young people in the Bay of Plenty are accessing free counselling through Gumboot Friday at a rate slightly higher than the national average, according to I Am Hope founder Mike King.

"The uptake is slightly above the national average in the Bay of Plenty," King said.

"Nationally, we're in about 6.5%, aged between 5 and 24, and in the Bay it's 7.1%."

King emphasised that the slightly higher rate does not mean the Bay of Plenty faces worse mental health challenges compared to other regions.

“That in no way suggests that the Bay of Plenty has bigger problems than anywhere else. It's probably more to do with awareness around Gumboot Friday and it now being an option."

He also credited I Am Hope's work in local schools.

"It has a lot to do with our Little People, Big Feelings program that we run through I Am Hope. It's an emotional literacy program where our young ambassadors go to school,” he said.

"We've spent a bit of time in the Bay recently, and it's all around normalising conversations."

King said the programme aimed to make seeking support feel normal from a young age.

"It's trying to make young people, particularly in primary school, aware that talking to a counsellor isn't a crisis intervention, it's just a conversation and normalising talk about problems."

He said many young people grew up believing they should keep their struggles to themselves.

"The problem that we've got for a lot of young people today is that mum and dad don't talk about problems, they think you're supposed to hold on to them, and we're trying to remove that stigma."

King said Gumboot Friday was created to address barriers young people faced when trying to access support.

King stressed that Gumboot Friday supports the core mission of I Am Hope: to change how young people understand and approach mental health.

"It's about attitudinal societal change."

He said counselling access had often been limited by privacy concerns, availability and long wait times.

"We recognised that there was a need there. We recognised that one of the problems there was the speed of access. We also recognised the barriers to access, which was you had to go and see a doctor, and you had to be diagnosed mentally unwell.”

"So Gumboot Friday is a response to a need while we go through the process of changing attitudes."

King said changing attitudes among adults was crucial to improving outcomes for young people.

"Because if we don't change them, more kids are going to kill themselves."

He said many young people already understood the importance of being open about their feelings.

"Young people aren't the problem. Young people are amazing. They get it. They want it."

"It's the big people, the role models, my generation, who are the problem."

King said many adults had been raised to hide vulnerability.

"How we were brought up was to protect the children, provide for your children, give your kids a better opportunity and never show fear."

"The fourth one, which is the most crucial, never show fear."

"Why? Because you have to lie to your children."

"I have to tell you I'm okay."

He said young people were often reluctant to speak openly with parents because they feared disappointing them.

"The reason they don't talk to you is they don't want to disappoint you."

"Our kids idolise the big people in their lives."

"They can spot a hint, just a hint of dissatisfaction or disappointment. For a young kid, the worst thing in the world is disappointing a parent."

King said adults needed to focus less on minor frustrations and more on what mattered most.

"When your kid comes home and tells you about the five things that happened that day, four amazing, one's bad, stop focusing on the bad thing."

"Prioritise things that are important," he said.

"There are hundreds of families in this country that would love to walk into the house and see that sock on the floor, see those dishes in the sink, see that messy bedroom, and they're never going to see it again."

"Get your priorities right."

Despite the challenges, King said he remained optimistic about the next generation.

"Our kids are so freaking incredible. I go into schools, and I just sit there, and they blow me away every day. They'll make the shift."

"Kids are going to blow your mind!"