Childline: Anxiety top concern for young people in Wales
Last year, the NSPCC service delivered 12,543 counselling sessions related to anxiety, including 356 in Wales , representing almost a quarter (23%) of all support given for mental health issues
Anxiety has been revealed as the main mental health concern for children and young people when receiving help from Childline.
Last year, the NSPCC service delivered 12,543 counselling sessions related to anxiety, including 356 in Wales , representing almost a quarter (23%) of all support given for mental health issues.
Navigating problems at school, bullying and body image concerns were some of the reasons children and young people cited for experiencing anxiety.
Childline also heard that ongoing social and political issues, such as the UK riots, climate change and world conflict, were also increasing feelings of worry and concern in young people.
One girl, aged 14, from Wales told Childline:
“I spend a lot of energy pretending to be ok on the outside and bottling up how I really feel. This year was one stress after another, my best friend got really ill, we had to pick GCSE subjects, my friend group drifted apart, and school feels so judgemental all the time. How am I supposed to cope with it all?”
While a boy , 17, from Wales told the service,
“I think it will sound stupid, but since my girlfriend broke up with me, I can’t stop worrying about the future. I have plans to go to university, but when I try to think about it, I can only think about it all going wrong. I get real anxiety about nothing working out for me.”
Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online through the 121 chat on the Childline website.