Stay
Alive
to 25
A MESSAGE FOR THE MOMENT WHEN STAYING FEELS IMPOSSIBLE
You do not have to solve your whole life tonight. Between 13 and 25, the brain, identity, relationships and mental health are still changing fast.
25 is not a deadline. It is a reminder to give your brain, your life and other people time to help change what feels impossible now.
TRANSFORMING PAIN INTO LIGHT
The Alastair Isaac Shooting Star Fund supports youth mental wellbeing so that no star has to stop shining because support was out of reach.
If you are in danger now
SOS
Do not stay alone.
Move near another person, call emergency services, or go to the nearest Emergency Department. This page is not a substitute for emergency care, therapy or medical advice.
Italy emergency number: 112
Telefono Amico Italia: 02 2327 2327, every day 9:00-24:00. WhatsApp: 324 011 7252, every day 18:00-21:00.
USA — Emergencies: 911. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: call or send an SMS to 988, toll free 24/7.
United Kingdom — emergencies: call 999 or 112. Samaritans: 116 123, toll-free callling, 24/7.
This is a window of change.
The years from early adolescence into the twenties are not simply a waiting room before adulthood. They are a period of intense brain development, learning, social change and vulnerability — and also a period with exceptional capacity to adapt. That is why getting support early matters.1–4
WHY 13-25 MATTERS
mid-
late 20s.
The brain continues to mature into the mid-to-late twenties; the prefrontal cortex is among the last regions to mature.1
62.5%
In a meta-analysis of 192 studies, 62.5% of people who developed a mental disorder had experienced its onset by age 25.2
14.5
Across pooled mental disorders, the statistical peak age of onset was 14.5 years. This is not a rule for any individual, but it shows how early problems can begin.2
1 in 7
Globally, about one in seven 10–19-year-olds lives with a mental health condition, according to WHO.3
“Stay Alive to 25” does not mean everything magically changes at 25.
There is no birthday on which the brain suddenly becomes “finished,” and mental health problems can occur at any age. The point is different: adolescence and young adulthood are unusually important years for development and for the first appearance of many mental health difficulties. They are years worth protecting.
Your brain is still building its adult
networks.
A young brain is not a defective adult brain. It is a brain in a different developmental phase — highly sensitive to experience, stress, relationships, sleep and learning.1,2
WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE BRAIN
The systems that help you pause are still developing.
01 - CONTROL & PLANNING
The prefrontal cortex supports planning, prioritising and decision-making and is among the last brain regions to mature. During adolescence and early adulthood, communication among brain networks is still being refined.1
What this means: an overwhelming feeling can be real without being a reliable prediction of your future.
Stress can hit differently while your system is still changing.
02 - EMOTION & STRESS
NIMH notes that adolescents can respond to stress differently from adults while brain systems are still developing. At the same time, adolescence is a period when anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses may first emerge.1
What this means: needing help with emotions at 15, 18, or 22 is not evidence that this is how you will feel forever.
The same sensitivity that creates vulnerability also creates opportunity.
03 - LEARNING & PLASTICITY
The adolescent brain remains highly able to adapt to new experiences. Skills, routines, relationships and treatment can become part of the environment to which the brain is adapting.1
What this means: early support is not only about stopping something bad, it is also about strengthening healthier patterns while they are still being built.
Many adult mental health problems begin much earlier.
04 - AGE OF ONSET
A large global meta-analysis found that the first onset of a mental disorder occurred before 18 in 48.4% of affected individuals and before 25 in 62.5%. The timing varies substantially by condition, so these numbers are population patterns, not a personal forecast.2
What this means: 13–25 is a critical place to notice changes early instead of waiting for distress to become more severe or entrenched.
Untreated difficulties can follow you into adult life.
05 - TRAJECTORY
The WHO warns that failing to address adolescent mental health conditions can have consequences into adulthood, affecting both mental and physical health and limiting opportunities later in life.3
A 2025 systematic review of early-intervention models for 11–25-year-olds found promising evidence for improving access, experience and outcomes of care, while also noting that the evidence is heterogeneous and stronger research is still needed.4
What this means: early help cannot guarantee that a problem will never become chronic, but it can create a chance to interrupt worsening patterns sooner.
WHY TELL SOMEONE?
Because a private problem is harder to solve alone.
Talking to a trusted adult or professional does not make the pain less real. It changes the situation: someone else can now help you understand it, stay safe and reach the right support.
An adult can help carry the practical load.
A parent, relative, teacher, coach or another trusted adult can stay with you, help you make the environment safer, arrange an appointment, speak to school or services, and keep checking in.
Connection itself is protective.
The CDC identifies support from friends and family, feeling connected to others, and access to consistent high-quality health care as factors that can protect against suicide risk.5
A professional can help name what is happening.
Anxiety, depression, trauma, eating problems, substance use, sleep problems and other conditions can overlap. A qualified professional can assess what is happening and discuss evidence-based options rather than leaving you to diagnose yourself.
Asking for help is the first intervention.
You do not need to know the diagnosis or the solution before you speak. The first useful sentence can simply be: “I am not doing well and I need you to stay with me and help me find support.”
You are not being asked to know how your whole life turns out. You are being asked to leave room for your brain, your circumstances and your support system to change.
WHAT TO DO NEXT
Make the problem shared.
If you are struggling, the goal is not to become your own therapist. The goal is to move from isolation to support, one concrete step at a time.
1
Tell one person today.
Choose someone who can act: a parent, relative, teacher, school counsellor, coach, doctor or another trusted adult.
2
Use plain words.
You can say: “I have been feeling worse,” “I am scared by my thoughts,” or “I need help finding someone professional to talk to.”
3
Ask for a professional asessment.
A GP, psychologist, psychotherapist, psychiatrist or youth mental health service can help work out what kind of support fits the problem.
4
Do not wait for a crisis to become ‘serious enough’.
Early support is designed for early symptoms too; you do not need to prove that you are suffering enough to deserve care.4
5
If you are in immediate danger, switch from conversation to safety.
Choose someone who can act: a parent, relative, teacher, school counsellor, coach, doctor or another trusted adult.
Sources behind the message.
The science supports urgency, not certainty: development continues through the twenties; many conditions begin young; early support is an important opportunity; and social connection and access to care can be protective. None of these facts can predict an individual person’s future.
SCIENTIFIC BASIS
1
National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). “The Teen Brain: 7 Things to Know.”
Brain development continues into the mid-to-late twenties; the prefrontal cortex is among the last regions to mature; adolescence is also a period of high adaptability. Read Source
2
Solmi M, Radua J, Olivola M, et al. Molecular Psychiatry (2022). “Age at onset of mental disorders worldwide: large-scale meta-analysis of 192 epidemiological studies.”
Across 708,561 participants, estimated onset of any mental disorder had occurred before 14 in 34.6%, before 18 in 48.4%, and before 25 in 62.5% of affected individuals; pooled peak age of onset was 14.5 years. Read study
3
World Health Organization. “Mental health of adolescents.” Updated 1 September 2025.
The WHO estimates that one in seven 10–19-year-olds experiences a mental disorder and warns that unaddressed adolescent mental health conditions can affect health and opportunities into adulthood. Read source
4
Appleton R, Barnett P, Clarke C, et al. BMC Medicine (2025). “Approaches to early intervention for common mental health problems in young people: a systematic review.”
Review of early-intervention approaches for ages 11–25: models show promise for improving access, care experience and outcomes, while evidence quality and intervention heterogeneity limit certainty. Read review
5
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide.” Updated 26 May 2026.
Protective factors include support from friends and family, feeling connected to others, and availability of consistent, high-quality physical and behavioural health care. Read source
6
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “Risk and Protective Factors for Suicide.” Updated 26 May 2026.
112 can be used to request urgent emergency assistance, including health assistance. Read source
7
Telefono Amico Italia. “Come contattarci.”
Telephone listening service: 02 2327 2327 every day 09:00–24:00. WhatsApp Amico: 324 011 7252 every day 18:00–21:00. Read source
Editorial note: This page is educational and preventive, not diagnostic. Before publication, the wording should be reviewed by qualified child/adolescent mental-health and suicide-prevention professionals, and emergency information should be rechecked regularly.
