Report

Seen, safe and supported

This report from UK think tank PBE examines the economic benefits of mentoring LGBTQ+ young people.

There is still limited understanding of what works, and what does not, when supporting LGBTQ+ young people’s mental health. While the problem is increasingly acknowledged, the evidence base around effective interventions remains limited. Our report builds the evidence on the impact of effective support for young people.

We evaluate the economic impact of Free2B’s one-to-one mentoring model for LGBTQ+ young people, who often face difficulties accessing appropriate support through mainstream mental health services. The Free2Talk programme, developed by Free2B, is a targeted mentoring initiative designed specifically to support LGBTQ+ young people. It provides a safe, identity-affirming space in which young people can engage with trusted adults to explore challenges related to their mental health, identity, and wellbeing.

Since its launch in 2016, the programme has supported 289 young people, offering weekly or fortnightly sessions that focus on building resilience, confidence and support networks, while addressing issues such as bullying, family rejection, and barriers to inclusive education or employment.

Our analysis builds on a previous study conducted by The University of Manchester using data from the #BeeWell programme. Among the young people for whom suitable comparisons could be made, those who took part in the Free2Talk programme appeared to experience wellbeing improvements equivalent to a 0.96-point increase in life satisfaction on a 0–10 scale, around 1.3 times greater than the average gain associated with moving from depression to full mental health.