Between the ages of 18 and 21, there is a transition period between child and adult mental health services. This transition can lead to individuals “falling through the cracks” or experiencing severe interruptions in their mental health care. There is also a point at which you “age out” of waiting lists without being aware of it. People may find themselves waiting for help that never arrives. It’s estimated that one-third of individuals are lost during this transition, while an additional third face significant disruptions in their care. (Leavey, G., McGrellis, S., Forbes, T. et al, 2019) They become stuck in a limbo of transition, often only ending when they reach crisis points because the threshold for adult support is much higher.

Inspired by YoungMind’s #EndTheWait campaign advocating for improved mental health services, The Waiting Room is a surreal, uncanny animation that encapsulates the feeling of being in this “limbo.” The animation rapidly transitions between two contrasting worlds: the Waiting Room, a dark and gritty environment, and the character’s lonely home. These experiences draw from my own journey with the mental health system. I was placed in the service at 16 but didn’t receive any communication until I was 21, by which time I had fundamentally changed as a person, meaning the help wouldn’t be beneficial to me any more.  I was given an antidepressant prescription and left to my own devices. There are 1.8 million people on similar waiting lists, and 26% of young people will attempt suicide while waiting for support. (Baker, 2022) (YoungMinds, 2022) The consequences of this system can and do cost lives. And it is simply not good enough.