7 – 13 February is Children’s Mental Health Week. According to a 2020 NHS report, 1 in 6 school-aged children has a mental health problem. This is an alarming rise from 1 in 10 in 2004, and 1 in 9 in 2017. Pupils who have a mental health problem are more likely to be excluded from school than their peers, and research suggests that school exclusions are linked to long-term mental health problems (Ford et al, 2017).
Whilst we’ve considered the possible causes for these statistics in our white paper on mental health in UK schools, we wanted to hear first-hand from someone leading the charge in getting young people’s voices heard.
Kadra Abdinasir is Associate Director of Children & Young People’s Mental Health at Centre for Mental Health. In the first of a two-part series, we talked to Kadra about the pressures young people are facing, where improvements in services can be made, and how better access to mental health support could shape their futures for the better.
Hi Kadra. What’s your role at Centre for Mental Health and can you tell us a little bit about The Centre’s work?
I’ve been working at the Centre for Mental Health as Associate Director for children and young people since 2018. I’m passionate about children and young people’s mental health having had my own struggles when I was younger, and watched family members also suffer.
Centre for Mental Health was founded in the 1980s by the Sainsbury’s trust, to bridge the gap between policy and research. We have experience in providing life changing research, economic analysis and policy influence in mental health. Where we differ from other organisations is that we work arm-in-arm with people with lived experience. For example, we equip people to become peer researchers so that they can identify what matters to them most through research. We then work with them to share these contributions with decision makers through our policy work.
In 2020 we launched a new strategy focusing on raising awareness of mental health inequalities in the UK.
What do you think are the biggest challenges to young people’s mental health?
I think one of the biggest problems is that there is a severe lack of early intervention and preventative support. We know that three quarters of adult mental health problems have their roots in the teenage years, but despite that there’s very few opportunities to prevent those problems from escalating.
Secondly, I hear a lot from young people about poorly managed transitions. That could be between primary school to secondary school, or school to sixth form. Lots of young people say that these changes are a difficult time for them and there is no designated support available.
Finally, I would say that there is a real lack of voice and participation in decision making. I think a lot of perennial issues we have around mental health support for young people could be overcome if we actively listened and collaborated with young people from the start.
What have been the biggest impacts on young people’s mental health from your point of view?
The pandemic has had a really negative impact on young people’s mental health. Our research found that 1.5milion young people aged 18 and under, could now require increased mental health support because of the pandemic. Young people are dealing with depression, anxiety, isolation, financial hardship and bereavement too in some cases. Sadly, we have also seen greater numbers of young people exposed to abuse and neglect at home.
For some young people, existing mental health problems have worsened due to the pandemic, for others they may have developed new problems.
Social media also continues to impact mental health too. Despite the fact it can be an enormous support to isolated young people, there’s also the risk of cyberbullying and abuse.
Are there differences in the level of support some young people receive over others?
Through our work we’ve seen some really stark inequalities in mental health in young people with protected characteristics. The mental health system is difficult to access for anybody, so you can imagine if you have additional or complex needs, it’s even more difficult.
Recent data from the NHS Benchmarking shows that despite the fact black young people make up only 11% of the population, they represent about 36% of the patients on acute mental health boards. Conversely, just 5% are getting access to community-based services. It’s clear that there is an issue here and we need to address the problems of access to support for those facing the biggest challenges. When you get the support system right, everyone benefits. If you design a system that you expect people to navigate themselves, it entrenches the inequalities.
If you could wave a magic wand over mental health support for young people, what would you wish for?
We’re working at the moment on a national rollout of early support hubs that are based in the community. These are centralised community-based services that young people can access without needing a referral, and include counselling, employment support, access to information and advice – all the things we know impact young people’s wellbeing. The hubs take away the stigma of accessing statutory mental health services, and reduce the pressure on schools, teachers and parents.
These hubs are such a key bridge between schools and the NHS that it would be my greatest wish to see one in every community across the country.
mdeducational Foundation also plan to create hubs for schools and funding wellbeing practitioners. A hub can represent a safe space for students to share wellbeing concerns to a wellbeing practitioner.
Find out more about the Centre for Mental Health’s Fund the Hubs campaign here.
Access and early intervention support for young people struggling with their mental health is at a critical point. There are roles to play for schools, parents and government agencies to improve the outcomes for young people. Read more from Kadra with some practical advice for parents and teachers here.
For more information on Centre for Mental Health and their latest campaign, click here.
