There are many factors that are taking a toll on the wellbeing of children and young people: the hangover of the Covid-19 pandemic five years on, years of austerity, and an ongoing lack of preventative measures and mental health facilities.
A cumulation of these factors have led to lacking investment in the charity sector and provision of youth services to prevent the mental health crisis that more young people than ever before are finding themselves in.
News that there has been a significant rise in the number of children and young people admitted to acute hospital wards for mental ill-health is sobering, yet unfortunately unsurprising. The report published by University College London (UCL) found that the number of children being admitted to acute hospital wards due to mental health concerns has risen by a shocking two thirds over the last decade. Findings also highlighted the steep rise in admissions particularly of young girls and of children aged between five and 10. The worsening situation on acute hospital wards – specialised wards designed to improve rapid assessment, treatment and care for patients – is putting a strain on the delivery of mental health provisions for young people.
At Empower, we have seen how these alarming statistics are translating into the safeguarding disclosures that we receive each month. The highest number of these relate to mental health and self-harm amongst our young people, a consistent pattern that since we first opened back in 2020.
There needs to be a nationwide commitment to the investment in preventative services at a local and community level to be able to reduce the pressure on hospitals and other public health services. We often see that young people don’t receive the critical support that they need to better their mental and emotional health until they are at crisis point. To get to the core of the challenge, we need to start looking at preventative ways to fix them.
One way to help improve mental wellbeing amongst children and young people, is by ensuring that there is equal access to places and organisations that help people develop new skills, find new hobbies, and act as a forum vehicle for facilitating socialising between young people. In OnSide’s 2024 Generation Isolation report in collaboration with YouGov, the damaging and isolating effects of smartphone use was stark. Research showed that smartphone use was the most time-consuming activity outside of school for children aged between 11 and 18 years old. Although the report highlighted that 52% of children want to reduce their screen time, 46% don’t know how to. A combination of smartphone use, and disparities in access to opportunities, has led to a surge in feelings of isolation and anxiety, correspondent to the pressure being put on acute hospital wards.
So how must we as a sector and society, get ahead of the mental health problem before it deteriorates further? Tackling the pressures of an increasingly digitalised society and that children and young people live in is tough. But almost a third of young people have said that more affordable leisure activities would help to improve their lives outside of school, as 35% of young people feeling as thought they don’t have opportunities to meet new people and make new friends.
Our work in Youth Zones makes a huge difference to children and young people, particularly those from more deprived and marginalised communities. The activities ranging from sports and art clubs, as well as volunteering opportunities and career advice, provides children with a space to explore their own interests. This in turn makes a marked difference in their confidence and ability to collaborate with other people not only as a young person, but also throughout their adult lives.
A multi-agency, collaborative approach is critical if we want to see improvements to the nationwide mental health crisis. As a society, we need to make sure that we’re not letting the mental health crises reach breaking point for young people before they are able to access help. By prioritising investment in provisions that mitigate some of these challenges from worsening as time goes on, we can help to alleviate stress placed on wider public health services like the NHS.
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