Public and political understanding of young people’s mental health is growing; the prime minister herself emphasised recently that mental illness too often starts in childhood and that, “when left untreated, can blight lives”.
Theresa May’s plans to offer every secondary school in the country mental health training, as well as strengthening links between schools and NHS specialist staff, are important steps in the right direction.
But it is equally important to prioritise support in primary schools. Half of all mental health problems start before the age of 14. Intervening at the earliest opportunity is vital.
This is something we at Place2Be understand all too well. For more than 22 years we have championed the role of primary schools in addressing young people’s mental health.
We work with children like seven-year-old Malik, who came to Place2Be when his mother was suffering from depression following the death of her own mother. Malik was so quiet he was almost invisible, but through one-to-one weekly counselling, using the medium of art and play, he grew into a young boy with the confidence to speak in front of his class.
The same is true of seven-year-old Abbie, who became increasingly anxious as she wasn’t getting to school because her mother had trouble getting up in the morning. We provided counselling support for both Abbie and her mum, who had been abused as a child and resorted to self-harming as a way to cope. We supported Abbie’s mum through a referral for a mental health assessment, giving her the tools to understand and cope with her problems, which in turn enabled her to become a reliable parent and get her daughter to school. With support Abbie was also able to manage her anxieties, develop self-confidence, settle and do well in class.
What would have happened if we hadn’t been there to support these young children and their families?
Many schools already provide mental health support on site, but the challenges they face in referring young people to overstretched child and adolescent mental health services (Camhs) are well documented. There is simply not enough provision and families face long waiting times.
Two-thirds of 10- and 11-year-olds worry all the time about things to do with their school life, home life or themselves
Our survey of headteachers found that over half of school leaders say it is difficult to find mental health services for pupils, and more than one in five who attempt to find support are unsuccessful. At the same time, nearly two-thirds of 10- and 11-year-olds are telling us they worry all the time about at least one thing to do with their school life, home life or themselves.
By intervening early in schools we can help to alleviate the pressure on Camhs – and prevent many young people reaching an unacceptable and dangerous crisis point.
Early intervention makes financial sense too. A Centre for Mental Health report highlighted that children with early conduct disorder are an estimated 10 times more costly to the public sector by the age of 28 than other children, and impose lifetime costs on society as a whole of around £260,000.
What role is there for the charitable sector within all this? There are many local and national voluntary organisations providing excellent in-school support across the country. At Place2Be, for example, we provide tried and tested services that are funded by our partner schools and voluntary contributions. We also offer training for child counsellors and professionals working with children. Campaigns such as Time to Change and Heads Together mean we are seeing a welcome increase in voluntary commitments from the public, companies and other donors to fund early intervention.
Addressing children’s mental health is everyone’s business and will require investment, expertise, commitment and joined-up working from the public, private and third sectors to ensure we deliver the high quality mental health support that our young people deserve to thrive in the future.
Names have been changed.
Catherine Roche is chief executive of Place2Be
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Charities" vital role in supporting children"s mental health | Catherine Roche
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