Crushed by a Million Pressures

Client: YoungMinds

Launched on the day it was announced that mental health referrals had topped 1 million for the third consecutive year, the campaign ‘Crushed by a Million Pressures’, a partnership between leading youth mental health charity YoungMinds and Livity, couldn’t have been more urgent. The campaign culminated in an attention grabbing art installation at King’s Cross Station co-created with over 1,000 young people. This powerful, immersive experience symbolised the overwhelming burden of institutional neglect and societal indifference that is crushing youth mental health, shining a spotlight on the urgent, systemic issues fuelling the youth mental health crisis—including but not limited to global instability, healthcare failures, and discrimination. The campaign demanded immediate action from policymakers and the public alike.

As the public interacted with the installation removing thousands of artefacts, a life-size sculpture of a hopeful young person was gradually revealed, symbolising the collective role we can all play in alleviating this burden and supporting young people through their mental health journey. Each object was designed with hard-hitting quotes and statistics from young people, giving voice to the real-life challenges they face. The campaign which also included a nationwide out-of-home campaign, was a bold call to arms to the public and Government - through experiential, content, and social media efforts, the campaign demanded that society stand with young people to tackle the mental health crisis. This activation has not only raised awareness but also demanded that the public actively engage in creating a future where young minds can thrive.