Rise in calls to Childline for mental health issues prompts call for action
The guardian states that charities are calling for improved mental health provisions in schools as new figures reveal more than 50,000 children and young people are contacting Childline to seek help for mental health issues. The helpline has seen a significant rise in young people needing help for depression and feeling suicidal with girls almost 7 times more likely to seek help than boys.
The chief executive of the NSPCC wants to ensure that the next generation are not left to deal with this mental health epidemic and that there needs to be more professional support and treatment in place.
Mental illness and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, of any age, of any background, at any time so spotting early signs of mental health problems could be vital. Children and young people may become withdrawn, have sudden outbursts or have problems sleeping or eating. As children may keep their suffering to themselves, it is important to understand the signs and treatment.
Young people face a range of pressures including school, body image issues, bullying and social media. In addition, they may have experienced difficult childhoods including bereavement or domestic violence. Therefore, there needs to be more access to provisions to help young people as the article highlights that children’s mental health services are already “terrible overstretched”.
“Trapped” and feeling like a “monster” is how one young person has described their struggle with mental health.
Related posts
