A generation of children are facing a mental health crisis. More and more young people are feeling anxious, depressed and having low self-esteem. It’s thought that as many as one in ten children has a diagnosable mental health condition and referrals to specialist treatment are on the rise. Mental health problems in childhood can damage a person for the rest if their life – taking a toll on individuals and on society. Children who suffer with mental health problems can do worse in school, have lower incomes, die earlier and are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of crime. But with the right treatment, this can be avoided.
The Government has rightly recognised that urgent action is needed, and had brought the Departments of Health and Education to produce a green paper on transforming children and young people’s mental health. Spending on CAMHS is increasing by £1.4 billion over the next five years. Every schools will have a designated individual to co-ordinate work across the school supporting students’ emotional well-being.
But what about children who aren’t in school? Those who’ve been excluded or withdrawn from school, perhaps because of bullying, are among the most vulnerable. And risk factors for poor mental health can be present in a child’s life before they are born, so we need support for the under 5s as well.
As Chair of the APPg for Mental Health I have written a submission to the consultation, calling on the Government to be even more ambitious in its plans. You can read it here.
To really get to the root of the problem we need to understand what is causing so many children to feel depressed and anxious – and use this knowledge to prevent children from becoming ill in the first place.
We need to understand what it is about Britain today that is making children unhappy. We need to understand the new and emerging risks of social media and cyberbullying. We need to understand that childhood experiences, like family breakdown, bereavement and having adult responsibilities, like caring for a sick relative, can damage a child’s mental health, and intervene when we recognise a child is going through them
We need to embed mental awareness in every public service children encounter in their lives. As well as health and education, the Government should look at Justice, Communities and especially Social care, to transform children’s mental health.