Burgess Hill youth therapist supports calls for a whole system approach to children's mental health
A fresh report's urging for schools, healthcare, social care and community settings to support young people's wellbeing - or risk losing the next generation to poor mental health
A Burgess Hill Youth Therapist's supporting calls for a "whole system approach" to prevent children's mental heath worsening
A new report from the Centre for Mental Health's warning the government could lose the next generation to poor mental health.
It said poor mental health as a child "casts a long shadow into the future", and can often lead chronic mental and physical health issues in adulthood.
Lisa Blackwell, who's a "Youth Fairy", said things are "a lot more challenging than they have been for a long time for children":
"Life is difficult and there are challenges young people and challenges within school. There's bullying, there's social media.
"If we can give them some coping mechanisms now, they can take those with them into adulthood."
She continued:
"One of the things that we sometimes say here, is it's easier to build strong children than to repair broken men, and it's a quote from Frederick Douglass.
"So you know, if we can get in support children at a much earlier age, then we're going to help them to build much more positive mental pathways.
"We're going to help them to have more resilience. They're going to cope better."
The report, Invest in Childhood, said mental health is a "critical issue for babies, children and young people".
According to NHS data, about one in five children and young adults aged eight to 25 in England had a probable mental disorder in 2023.
This included about a fifth of eight to 16-year-olds, almost a quarter (23.3%) of 17 to 19-year-olds and 21.7% of 20 to 25-year-olds.
The charity calls for a "whole system preventative approach to mental health" that "could yield substantial savings by addressing issues before they escalate into more severe problems".
This would involve integrating sectors such as education, healthcare, social care and community organisations, the report said.
It highlights six areas that require action, including providing effective mental health support during pregnancy and early parenthood, and bringing in policies focusing on tackling inter-generational trauma, particularly in families that have experienced racism.
Elsewhere, the report said early years childcare, schools and colleges "play a vital role" in promoting good mental health, while secure housing and employment are "crucial" for young adults.
Andy Bell, chief executive at Centre for Mental Health, said: "Mental health difficulties among children and young people are both common and serious.
"They cause deep distress for children and their families. They cast a long shadow over a child's life."
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: "Every child should have access to support, which is why we are working to ensure children receive high quality mental health support close to home.
"We have already announced £26 million to open new mental health crisis centres, are recruiting 8,500 additional mental health workers and putting a specialist mental health professional in every school in England.
"Through our Plan for Change, we will raise the healthiest generation of children in our history by reforming the NHS to give mental health the same attention and focus as physical health."