When a parent turns to the internet or social media for guidance about their child's

Almost 1.5 million people aged 18 and under were referred for mental health support in 2022, according to a youth mental health charity. According to YoungMinds’ analysis of data from NHS Digital, there were 1,425,193 referrals last year, a rise of 76% since 2019. The charity also said it is the second consecutive year that referrals have topped one million. Laura Bunt, chief executive of YoungMinds, said: “Every day without action is another day thousands of young people are without the mental health support they need. Behind every number is a young person facing impossible challenges.” In April 2022, the Government made a call for evidence for a new 10-year mental health plan. Any new plan for the NHS workforce needs to include significant measures to increase the numbers of mental health specialists we have working in children and young people's mental health services Tom Madders, YoungMinds As part of the call, 13,887 people under the age of 25 completed a YoungMinds survey and the answers were shared anonymously with the Government. Ms Blunt said those who responded made it “loud and clear what change was needed”. However, the plan was shelved in favour of the Major Conditions Strategy, which grouped mental illness together with the likes of cancer and chronic respiratory diseases. The call for evidence for the new strategy ends on Tuesday. In response, YoungMinds and a group of young people will take two vans to Westminster displaying messages from some of the people who responded to the initial call over the 10-year mental health plan. Ms Blunt added: “Twelve months on, as the situation worsens, we are still waiting. The Government had an opportunity to hear from young people and take action that could transform the system, but all we’ve seen is delay. “The Government must listen to young people and commit to action that drives down numbers of young people needing support, prioritises early intervention, and properly funds mental health services.” Tom Madders, director of communications and campaigns at YoungMinds, said: “This explosion in referral numbers has led to wait times being as long as two years in parts of the country. “One of the biggest barriers for getting wait times down is the lack of staff and young people are paying the price for a total absence of workforce planning over the past few years.” On Sunday, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said the NHS Workforce Plan, a 15-year blueprint outlining how the NHS will retain and recruit staff, will be published this week. Mr Madders added: “Any new plan for the NHS workforce needs to include significant measures to increase the numbers of mental health specialists we have working in children and young people’s mental health services.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Holiday hygiene horrors: Summer health risks to avoid, from flying to hotels Pretty garden plants you didn’t know you could eat Group B Strep: 8 things every parent should know

China will allow citizens from countries including France, Germany and Italy to enter the country without a visa

The Iowa Supreme Court says Gov. Kim Reynolds can appeal a temporary block on the state’s restrictive abortion law

Designer Christian Cowan has done it again, with a creative garment for commuters everywhere. Enter, The Sweet Seat. The limited edition collaboration with Candy Crush Saga is inspired by the dreaded morning commute in the city. It offers a wearable seat adorned with bright colours and shapes taken from the popular game. Cowan, best known for his bold and unexpected collections, has worked with Candy Crush to put his playful and humorous touch on the Sweet Seat, bringing it to life in a way that doesn’t compromise fashion for comfort. His approach provides a sweet solution that puts the fun back in functional. With campy and Candy-tastic designs, the piece blends Cowan’s creativity and high fashion prowess with Candy Crush’s world of fun colours, candies and patterns. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter "This piece is inspired by the fun that Candy Crush brings to mundane tasks like commuting," Cowan said. "Public transit could use a dose of glamour, especially in New York City and London, and the Sweet Seat brings that glamour in a fun, fashionable, and over-the-top way. What I love about this collaboration is that it brings a joyful solution to an everyday problem in a way that’s both out-of-the-box and camp." The Sweet Seat features a tear-drop silhouette garment that can be worn solo as a dress, or over the top of an outfit as an accessory. Functionally, the garment works like a bean bag, the wearer can literally sit back and take a seat anywhere they’d like. "Our loyal fans who play Candy Crush on the go love the colour and fun that we bring to their everyday lives," said Luken Aragon, VP of marketing at Candy Crush Saga. "Whether they’re waiting in a long queue or battling the daily commute - without a seat, we want to be able to help bring them that joy and vibrancy to their day so that nothing gets in the way of levelling up. Collaborating with Christian to bring to life the candies that these players know and love - and can now wear - has been truly divine." This limited-edition item is available for purchase for $1,000 / £786.92. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

This year all four of Apple's iPhone models have USB-C charging ports and slightly different

Match Group, the parent company of dating apps like Tinder and OkCupid, announced a new

It's that time of the year when the (mostly) blonde freshmen at Southern universities embark

There’s expensive makeup, and then there’s Chanel makeup. And while the packaging is a solid 11/10, it’s not just the double C’s that are making us covet the stuff; the formulas — all made in France — bien sûr, are on another level. Whether it’s foundation pigments suspended in a weightless carrier gel, pressed powder so delicately milled it feels like silk, or lipstick so buttery-smooth it makes other lipsticks look bad, Chanel spares no expense with its beauty products. (It also helps to have globally-renowned makeup artists leading the charge with color trends and product development.)

Parents in the southern California city of Temecula are pushing back against the local school board's recent decision to reject a social studies curriculum that includes gay rights after some board members claimed there was not enough parental involvement in the process and made comments attacking gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk.

Naomi Watts has admitted that going through menopause in her mid-thirties felt like “the end of her worth”. Watts, now 55, said she thought of menopause as “equating to the end” of her career, when she experienced it three years after her breakthrough performance in David Lynch’s 2001 psychological thriller Mulholland Drive. In an interview with Times Radio on Thursday, the two-time Oscar-nominated actor added that the lack of conversation around menopause – or the end of menstruation – “told me that you don’t matter anymore”. She continued: “So I kind of spent a lot of time spinning out and turning in on myself, feeling panicked about the end of my career, the end of my worth. If I can’t bring children into the world, my partner will probably leave me. What do I mean? Where’s my purpose?” Watts has been advocating for greater awareness and sensitivity around the subject, with the actor launching her own menopausal beauty brand Stripes last October. In the interview, she noted that, while women come together to discuss their periods, first kisses, or experiences with getting pregnant, the conversation around menopause has remained shrouded in secrecy and shame. However, Watts acknowledged that she wouldn’t have spoken about her own experiences when she was younger. Opening up about her decision to talk about going through early menopause publicly, she said: “Maybe it was just the right timing, maybe that the average age of menopause is 51. Maybe I just had to get past that milestone to actually admit that that was me. However, Watts added, her outlook has since changed because she “got on top of the education” and has a better understanding of it. “I’ve also got my friends,” she continued, underscoring the importance of having a community. “We can moan about it if we have to, laugh about it and share our experiences openly. “I think when the conversation is off the table, that’s the worst part of it,” Watts said. The Impossible actor has previously said that going through early menopause was “incredibly isolating”, with the NHS estimating that premature menopause – before the age of 40 – affects one per cent of women in the UK. The symptoms are the same as perimenopause, or the years of transition leading up to menopause. These usually include changes in the pattern and/or frequency of menstrual cycles, anxiety, mood changes, hot flushes, and hair loss or thinning. Read More ‘It was the most isolating experience’: Meet the women with early menopause Smoking causes 150 cancer cases every single day in UK, study finds Millions of women able to get contraceptive pills over the counter next year Smoking causes 150 cancer cases every single day in UK, study finds Millions of women able to get contraceptive pills over the counter next year Woman with cystic fibrosis had weeks to live – now she’s climbing mountains

Climate researcher Dr. Gianluca Grimalda says that he risks losing his post at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy in Germany for refusing to use a plane as a means of transport back from Papua New Guinea.