February 5-11 is Children’s Mental Health Week 2024, which aims to reach out to young people and help them to find the guidance and support they need in difficult times. The organisers also work with families, schools, and politicians to help young people find their voice and educate them about mental health.
The annual event arrives as we hear the distressing news that the number of children referred to emergency mental healthcare services in the UK has risen by over 50% in three years. The Guardian newspaper reports that this translates to over 600 children a week who are reaching a crisis point in their mental health.
The reason for this rise is largely attributed to long waiting lists and a lack of specialist mental health services for children. According to the latest figures, there were 32,521 emergency and urgent referrals to child and adolescent mental health services crisis teams in 2022-23, compared to 21,242 in 2019-20.
The president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, Dr Lade Smith, said: “No one should have to watch their child’s mental health deteriorate while they wait for care. It’s completely unacceptable that this is the reality facing so many families.”
She added: “We want to provide young people with effective care as soon as they need it, not once they’ve already developed a serious illness which could have been prevented. That’s why we need to see government focus on prevention and reversing the rising rates of mental illness, as well as ensuring sufficient resourcing of specialist services.”
Many of the children are waiting for treatment for serious conditions such as eating disorders, depression, anxiety and suicidal feelings. There are obviously no easy explanations for why these conditions have soared among young people over the past few years, beyond the overstretched NHS resources.
The legacy of the pandemic years could be a potential factor. Although they are thankfully behind us, the disruption and isolation hit children particularly hard as schools and activities outside the home were closed down. This left some children more vulnerable to mental health problems, with less chance of it being picked up by teachers.
Since the pandemic, the world has continued to seem an unpredictable and insecure place, with a cycle of negative news stories about international conflicts, climate change, and the cost of living crisis. Deep cuts to welfare over the past decade mean that more children are living in poverty, sometimes in homes without adequate food or heating.
The internet and social media could also play a role in the pressures placed on children and adolescents. Although digital technologies have huge advantages as a source of information and connection with others, they can also leave children vulnerable to cyberbullying. This can be particularly difficult to deal with because it is often anonymous.
Social media can also encourage children to develop unrealistic ideas about the way they should look, at an age when they may be feeling dissatisfied or insecure about their appearance. This can lead to children and young people developing low self esteem and eating disorders.
Academic pressures faced by young people have also intensified as competition for jobs and university places becomes stronger. Many young people who do decide to invest in higher education face the prospect of entering the workforce saddled with a high level of debt and no guaranteed career path ahead of them.
Dr Elaine Lockhart, the chair of the Royal College’s child and adolescent faculty, told The Guardian: “It’s unacceptable that so many children and young people are reaching crisis point before they are able to access care. We cannot allow this to become the new norm.”
“Severe mental illness is not just an adult problem. The need for specialist mental health services for children and young people is growing all the time. The evidence shows us that children who receive support quickly are less likely to develop long-term conditions that negatively affect their education, social development and health in later life.”
Some parents may seek private therapy for their children as a means of avoiding long waiting lists and ensuring they will receive a high quality service. Young people may benefit from evidence-based guidance such as cognitive behavioural therapy, dialectical behaviour therapy, or mindfulness techniques.
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