Last week, new data showed that the number of under-18s who were referred for specialist mental health support on the NHS has risen by nearly 40% in the space of a year.
The England-wide figures showed that 1,196,515 children were referred in 2021-22, up from 839,000 in 2020-21. In 2019-20, it was 850,741.
The referrals include children who are suicidal, self-harming, suffering serious depression or anxiety, and those with eating disorders.
The factors contributing to the decline in young people’s mental health might include social inequality, austerity and online harm, as well as residual effects from the Covid lockdowns.
Kerry McLeod is Head of Content for mental health charity Mind. She says that some of the ways in which your 11-18-year-old might act differently include:
· Seeming distant, or not themselves
· Not meeting up with friends or partners
· Spending more time alone than usual
· Not chatting, smiling or laughing as much
· Seeming less confident
· Talking about feelings that worry you
· Losing interest in or not doing activities they normally love
· Crying, shouting or feeling angry
· Being restless
· Smoking, drinking, or using drugs when they didn't before
· Using social media in a different way, or more or less than before
Some of the physical changes you might notice include:
· Not dressing with as much care as they used to
· Eating too much or too little
· Finding it hard to concentrate
· Looking tired
· Not washing or taking care of themselves like they used to
· Repetitive behaviour, like tapping or checking things a lot
These signs are helpful to know about, but shouldn’t be seen as an exhaustive list. Kerry explains that we all act in different ways when we’re going through a tough time. ‘You might notice some of these signs, you might see something different, or you might not notice anything at all,’ she explains. ‘These signs could also be linked to a young person's physical health, or something else entirely.’
The important thing is to keep an open dialogue with your child at all times. ‘Our mental health and wellbeing can change all the time,’ she says. ‘So it can help to check in regularly and make time for young people to talk about how they're feeling. You don't have to wait until they're struggling.’
This is particularly important because children can become very good at ‘hiding’ the signs that they’re not coping. ‘It helps to know how to talk openly with them about mental health,’ says Kerry. ‘Just because they don't show any signs, it doesn't mean you shouldn't check in with them.’
For more information, visit mind.org.uk