Fiona Brown
Communications Officer
Distress Brief Intervention extended to 16 and 17 year olds in northeast
The Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) extension to 16 and 17-year-olds, has become live in Aberdeen and Inverness.
It brings both pilot areas into line with the others on Borders and Lanarkshire which undertook the extension in May.
DBI currently provides support to people aged 18 and over who present to emergency services and primary care in distress or emotional pain.
It means the project which has helped over 3,000 people 18 and over since it launched two years ago, will make the connected, compassionate support DBI provides, available to 16 and 17-year-olds in these areas.
Welcoming the extension in Aberdeen, Penumbra chief executive Nigel Henderson said:
“Early intervention like this is such an important part of how we support mental and emotional health and DBI is all about equipping people with the skills and support to manage their own mental health and wellbeing and to prevent future crisis.
“I’m delighted this support has now be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds.”
I’m delighted this support has now be extended to 16 and 17-year-olds.
In Inverness, the pilot is being led by the mental health charity Support in Mind Scotland (SiMS). Its chief executive Frances Simpson, echoed this saying: “This is fantastic news.
“Those who have received the DBI support show their level of distress has halved and report experiencing very high levels of compassion, and feel they are working towards their own goals.”
DBI programme manager Kevin O’Neill said: “It’s fantastic news that the connected, compassionate support which DBI-trained staff provide to those in distress is being extended to 16 and 17-year-olds.
“While this innovative project is still in the pilot phase, the extension is testimony to the hard work and commitment of all the organisations providing support.”
