It was hoped that the widespread easing of restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic would herald a return to something approaching ‘normality’. The reality is, it merely shone a light on a general downturn in mental health over the past decade.
According to The Health Foundation, mental health conditions in young people are far more prevalent. In a 2021 survey within the 6-16 age range, 1 in 6 had a ‘probable mental health condition’. This is up from 1 in 9 in 2017. This increases yet further to 1 in 4 for females aged 17-19.
This is a worrying trend – one only partially explained by a decreased stigma over discussing and reporting mental health issues. The reasons are myriad – climate change anxiety, social media, financial stress – so it’s important that support is in place for as many people as possible.
This is the theme of World Mental Health Day 2022: making mental health and wellbeing for all a global priority. Taking place on Monday, 10th October, it provides an opportunity to spread awareness of the support mechanisms out there for young people – groups and individuals who will listen to their concerns about themselves and society as a whole.
Growing awareness can guide young people in need, towards information and resources that can help improve their tools for coping, and also their understanding of how they can create change.
To help raise awareness of mental health issues around the world, we’ve put together the quiz below showcasing some statistics of the current issues being faced by young people:
For more information on World Mental Health Day and on how you can support click here.
If you need more information or support with any issue relating to mental health, the organisations below are a useful starting point:
NSPCC – The UK’s Children’s Charity
Young Minds – Children and Young People’s Mental Health Charity
Mind – The UK’s Mental Health Charity
Stem4 – Supporting Teenage Mental Health
There has been growing recognition about the positive impact that arts and cultural projects can have on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.
In 2021, The Mighty Creatives commissioned a report, written by Jo Stockdale, Well Within Reach, entitled “Wellbeing, Creativity and Young People: A Guide for Education Professionals”, to explore the relationship between learning, wellbeing and the positive impact of creativity on children and young people’s ‘learning brains’.
