Youth Mental Health Day 2023 is focused on the theme #BeBrave, to help boost the courage and confidence of young people. Tuesday 19th September 2023 is Youth Mental Health Day, an awareness campaign founded by teenage mental health charity stem4 in 2020 to improve understanding and increase discussion of mental health in young people....
Pupil mental health and teacher welfare a key concern for parents
A new survey has found there are high levels of parental concern about pupil mental health and teacher welfare in Britain’s schools. The Ipsos survey focused on attitudes to education in Britain and how well people rate the quality of the nation’s schools, colleges and universities. Over 2,200 British adults aged 18 or over...
10% increase in children struggling with exam stress
Childline has reported a 10% increase in counselling sessions about exam stress since the Covid-19 pandemic in the UK. The confidential charity helpline for children said that almost 2,000 children contacted them to talk about exam stress last year as formal exams returned following the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and resulting lockdowns...
NSPCC campaign tackles ‘heart-breaking’ loneliness
The NSPCC has launched a new campaign to tackle the “heart-breaking” loneliness experienced by children and young people across the country. The ‘Day in the Lonely’ campaign uses day-in-the-life style videos to illustrate how three young people experience loneliness. The videos, based on real-life calls received by Childline, are designed to encourage children to...
Let’s Connect for Children’s Mental Health Week
This week (6th-12th February 2023) is Children’s Mental Health Week and the theme for this year is Let’s Connect, as data suggests more than two-thirds of children experiencing mental health problems feel socially anxious. The annual awareness week is run by children’s mental health charity, Place2Be, and was first launched in 2015 to help...
Third of UK adults feel anxious about their finances
There are worries about the state of the nation’s mental health after a recent survey found that more than one third (34%) of adults in the UK felt anxious due to financial worries. The survey, commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation, also found that 1 in 10 adults felt hopeless about their finances, while...
Child mental health referrals up 39% after ‘difficult’ year
Referrals for child mental health services have risen by 39% in England in just one year, official data has revealed. NHS referrals for mental health treatment for under-18s increased to more than 1.1 million during 2021-22, compared to 839,570 in 2020-21, and 850,741 in 2019-20. The figures – branded “alarming” by the NSPCC –...
Parents have lost faith in child mental health care
An investigation carried out by the BBC has found that parents and headteachers have lost faith in the mental health care system for children and young people as they face “agonisingly” long waits for treatment. After examining data from half of England’s services, investigators found that 1 in 5 children seen for mental health...
It’s Youth Mental Health Day
Today (7th September) marks Youth Mental Health Day 2021, with the theme for this year focussing on how young people can #StrideForward with their mental health and wellbeing in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. Established by leading youth mental health charity Stem4, the awareness day aims to encourage understanding and discussion of mental...
Childline supports young people with sexuality and gender identity
During Pride Month, Childline has voiced its support for children and young people struggling with their gender identity or sexuality. The national charity helpline says that, over the past year, it has seen a 29% increase in the number of young people contacting them to talk about concerns relating to coming out. The helpline...
Childline counsels 90,000 children during pandemic
The NSPCC’s confidential helpline, Childline, delivered nearly 90,000 counselling sessions for young people worried about mental health or abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. The national children’s charity said they had grown increasingly concerned about the “huge toll” the pandemic has had on young people. Data from Childline for the period 1st April 2020 until...
Survey reveals impact of coronavirus on UK children
A new survey capturing the experiences of children and young people during the pandemic has revealed many have faced mental health challenges over the past year. Conducted by Survation for Newsround, the survey asked over 2,000 6–16-year-olds from all across the UK about their experiences during 2020-21, questioning them about a range of issues,...
Vulnerable children must be put ‘centre stage’ post-Covid
The Children’s Commissioner for England has called on the government to put vulnerable children “centre stage” in forthcoming plans to “build back better” after the Covid-19 pandemic. In her final speech after six years in the role, Anne Longfield said that plans to “level up” the nation must start with its most vulnerable children...
Duchess puts spotlight on parental mental health
The Duchess of Cambridge has urged parents to look after their mental health during the coronavirus pandemic. In a special video message recorded to mark Children’s Mental Health Week, Kate said she knew many parents found it hard to prioritise their own wellbeing, but that it was important “to be the very best versions...
Childline raises concerns over mental health of children
Childline has raised concerns about the mental health of children and young people after delivering over 50,000 counselling sessions since the first peak of the coronavirus pandemic. The NSPCC’s confidential charity helpline delivered 54,926 counselling sessions to children and young people between April and December 2020. This represents a 16% increase in the average...