Concerns have once again been raised around the mental health of our young people, as ChildLine has stated they are “deeply unhappy” due to modern pressures.
Around 1 in 10 young people suffer from mental health illnesses, including depression and anxiety. Professor Tanya Byron, an expert in child and adolescent mental health, argues the education system is partly to blame, because: “We are teaching kids to pass exams – this is a fake marker of intelligence. While we are fetishising IQ, children and young people are so unbelievably anxious.”
ChildLine’s evidence backs this up, showing children are more anxious than ever. The charity is celebrating its 30th birthday this year, and in its time has not only seen the number of sessions increase tenfold (from 23,530 in 1986 to 286,812 in 2014-15), but has also witnessed a huge shift in young people’s top concerns. When the helpline was established in 1986, the main issues reported were family problems, sexual and physical abuse, and pregnancy. Today? Unhappiness, low self-esteem, family relationships and bullying (including cyberbullying).
While the main issues young people raised during ChildLine’s infancy are by no means less important than today’s most common concerns, it shows how significant the mental health problems young people face today are. One 13 year old told her counsellor: “I hate myself… I'm struggling to cope with these feelings and stay in my bedroom most of the time." Similarly, a 12 year old girl commented: “I feel like crying all the time. I'm constantly worried about what other people are thinking of me and it's really getting me down.”
Dame Esther Rantzen, ChildLine’s founder, said of the findings: “I remember in 1986 how shocked we were to discover that so many children were suffering terrible abuse in their own homes. But today I am shocked by the acute unhappiness and loneliness that afflicts so many young people.”
It’s clear that there are a number of wide-ranging pressures on young people today that make them feel anxious, stressed, and even depressed. Self-esteem is a pertinent problem, as are academic pressures. As Professor Byron comments, many young people are taught in a way that doesn’t suit their learning style and this isn’t always the best way to test their abilities, skills and knowledge. Much expectation is still placed on exam results, which are prioritised when it comes to what pupils are taught, and a parent or guardian’s disappointment can be crushing to a young person who may be led to believe they’re not clever or good enough. Additionally, constant educational reforms can put additional pressure on young people. Last year, new GCSEs started to come into effect, only 3 years after the last GCSE reform.
Vocational education gives learners who are not academically inclined the opportunity to shine and prove their worth. The idea that young people who don’t perform well in an academic environment aren’t intelligent is still too pervasive and must change. This, Professor Byron argues, can create a vicious cycle: “Everything you need to do well at school – problem-solving, creativity, decision-making – goes when you feel anxious. The more anxious you feel, the less able you feel to deliver; the less able you are to deliver, the more it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
Speaking of young people she’s encountered, Professor Byron said “Some of the kids I see are showing signs of the executive stress and burnout you would see in people of my age – I am nearly 50 – who are working hard in their careers with no work-life balance.” This is a startling observation in a society where people are working longer and harder, with no time to themselves.
It’s clear that something needs to be done to help young people and give them the support they need to navigate a life riddled with pressures that may not have been experienced by previous generations. Children’s Commissioner Anne Longfield believes all schools should provide counselling for young people. “There is a real issue about anxiety. It is a barometer of health for children. And children are clearly saying that before we get to the stage of a diagnosed mental health condition we want some help with anxiety and we want that to be in schools.”
With young people spending so much time at school this is a helpful solution, and one that pupils have said would be beneficial. Ms Longfield said: “Children and young people time and time again tell me that they would like to have people to talk to in schools.” It’s important for young people to have a safe space to share their fears and worries, whether they’re related to academic pressures, or pressures outside school.
It’s also vital to teach young people about mental health, especially with the news that 50% of all adult mental health problems manifest themselves by the age of 14. By educating children on the symptoms of conditions like anxiety and depression, as well as the effects of those illnesses and stress, young people can better understand why they’re feeling the way they are, and take the steps needed to address it. It’s more important than ever to tackle the stigma around mental health illnesses as it becomes more common not only in adults, but also in children. Professor Byron argues that we need to bring mental health into the curriculum to address this, rather than focus on our current “target-driven system, where it is all about ‘brains’.”
What are your thoughts on the state of our young people’s mental health? Do you deliver counselling in your school?
