Voyage supported the London element of the project, helping to recruit andengage young Black men and other young people whose experiences are oftenunderrepresented in mental health research and policy discussions. Workingalongside the University of Bristol and community partners across the UK,Voyage helped create a space where young people could speak honestly aboutissues affecting them, including racism, policing, gang pressures, financialstress, cultural expectations, social media, safety and belonging.

Thereport makes clear that young people do not experience mental health inisolation from the world around them. Instead, their wellbeing is deeply shapedby the environments they grow up in, the opportunities available to them andthe way society responds to their identities and circumstances. Across allthree cities, one of the strongest themes to emerge was the importance ofbelonging. Young people repeatedly described feeling accepted, understood andsafe as central to positive mental wellbeing. Equally, exclusion, judgement andpressure to conform were identified as major contributors to stress, anxietyand isolation.

Participantsdescribed the challenge of navigating multiple identities at once, particularlywhere cultural expectations, religion, ethnicity and peer pressures overlap.Some young people spoke about feeling “split between two identities”,struggling to balance expectations from family and community with pressures tofit in socially at school, college or work. Others reflected on the impact ofdiscrimination linked to race, immigration status or religion, particularlyexperiences of Islamophobia and racism. Young people explained how theseexperiences affect confidence, self-esteem and the ability to feel comfortablebeing themselves.

TheLondon workshops, supported by Voyage , provided particularly important insightinto the experiences of young Black men living in urban environments.Participants discussed how postcode stigma, gang culture and stop and searchpractices shaped their sense of safety and identity. Several young men spokeabout the stress of moving through certain areas, feeling judged before theyhad spoken, or feeling pressure to become involved in gangs at a young age. Thereport also references concerns around the adultification of Black boys andyoung men, where young people are treated as older, more threatening or lessvulnerable than their peers, leading to harsher treatment and increasedanxiety.

Alongsidethese challenges, young people consistently highlighted the importance of youthorganisations, trusted adults and safe community spaces. Across all threeworkshop locations, participants described youth clubs and communityorganisations as vital spaces where they could socialise safely, accesssupport, learn new skills and feel understood. Young people spoke positivelyabout spaces that allowed them to stay off the streets, build friendships andaccess guidance from adults who understood the realities they faced. The reportidentifies these environments as important protective factors for mental healthand wellbeing, particularly for young people affected by marginalisation andinequality.

Thefindings strongly reinforce the role organisations like Voyage play insupporting young people before problems escalate into crisis. The report repeatedlypoints to prevention, community support and early intervention as essential toimproving young people’s mental health outcomes. Rather than focusing only ontreatment after problems emerge, the research argues for greater investment inthe social conditions that allow young people to thrive, including safe spaces,trusted relationships, financial stability and equitable opportunities.

Financialinsecurity emerged as another major theme throughout the workshops. Youngpeople described the pressure of living through the cost-of-living crisis whilealso trying to navigate education, employment and adulthood. Participants spokeabout the stress caused by unemployment, low income and the inability to affordbasic social activities or travel costs. Many also discussed how discriminationaffects employment opportunities, particularly for young Black people, disabledyoung people and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Young people linkedthese barriers directly to feelings of hopelessness, anxiety and uncertaintyabout the future.

Thereport also explored the role of social media in shaping young people’s mentalhealth. Participants described social media as both unavoidable and emotionallyexhausting, with constant exposure to global conflict, political instabilityand unrealistic lifestyle expectations contributing to feelings of helplessnessand pressure. Young women in particular discussed the impact of beautystandards, comparison culture and the pressure to present a perfect imageonline. Young people explained that social media had made pressures that onceexisted mainly in schools or peer groups feel constant and inescapable.

Manyparticipants also spoke about the responsibilities they carry at a young age.Young people described balancing education with caring responsibilities foryounger siblings or family members, often while being expected to behave likefully independent adults. Several young women discussed the pressure ofbalancing education, work and cultural expectations within the home, whileyoung men reflected on expectations around masculinity, financial success andemotional suppression. The report highlights how these overlapping pressurescan contribute to burnout, stress and poor mental wellbeing.

Importantly,the report does not simply identify problems — it also makes clearrecommendations for change. These include greater long-term investment in youthand community spaces, improved reporting on inequalities within mental healthservices, stronger support for young people facing financial hardship, andinvolving young people directly in decisions about safety and public policy.The report also argues that young people should be treated as partners inshaping solutions, rather than as problems to be managed.

ForVoyage, the findings reflect many of the realities young people share withstaff and youth workers every day. The report provides further evidence thatcommunity-led youth work, trusted adult relationships and safe spaces are notoptional extras, but essential forms of support that protect young people’swellbeing and future opportunities. Voyage’s involvement in the MOSAIC projectensured that young people whose experiences are too often overlooked wereincluded in a national conversation about mental health inequality and socialjustice.

As theMOSAIC project moves into its next phase, researchers will use large-scale UKdatasets to further investigate the inequalities highlighted by young peopleduring the workshops. However, the message from this first phase is alreadyclear: young people understand the pressures affecting their mental health, andmeaningful change will require listening to their experiences and investing inthe communities and organisations that support them every day.