Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Mental health lies on a spectrum from wellbeing to mental ill health. Embedding wellbeing practice from early years is something parents should promote. Most children and young people enjoy positive mental health and deal with the challenges of growing up and life very well, thriving into adulthood. Mental ill health in children and young people is a hugely highlighted area of need, is high on the public health agenda and of concern to most parents. Subsequent to the pandemic, the NHS (2020) announced that one in six school aged children had a mental health problem. Mental ill health affects children as young as 5 years old, increasing in adolescence and with a rapid increase in mental ill health difficulties between the ages of 17-19 years. Common mental ill health issues include anxiety disorders, depression, substance misuse disorders, eating disorders and self-harm. The good news is that early identification, parent support and management and evidence based psychological intervention have good impact.