Tolu Fashina-Ayilara
Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer, Mind
If the significant rise in mental health issues since the pandemic is not already raising alarm bells for the UK Government, its impact on young people’s education certainly should.
Young people facing mental health problems are often more likely to struggle academically, be excluded from school, have chronic absenteeism and experience unemployment later in life. In fact, Mind’s research revealed that mental health problems accounted for nearly 70% of school absences.1 When combined with factors such as poverty, racism, bullying and special educational needs (SEND), the challenges young people face become even greater.
Rising crisis among young people
Currently, one in five young people are living with a mental health problem, an increase from one in nine in 2017.2 Yet, many are denied the support they need to reach their full potential. The NHS is still far from being able to meet the full demand for young people’s mental health services. Consequently, we are witnessing a school attendance epidemic. We must do more to support Generation Z and Alpha.
One in five young people are
living with a mental health problem.
Ensure school-based mental health support
Transforming mental health support in schools is an essential first step. This includes ensuring all schools have mental health support teams; providing access to Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for those in need; and training staff to assist students with complex needs. It also means implementing inclusive, de-stigmatising policies that reflect the experiences of young people with mental health problems.
Early mental health access is critical
Improving access to mental health services is vital for specialised support and treatment for young people, but more needs to be done. Half of mental health problems present by the age of 14,3 making early intervention critical in addressing the nation’s mental health crisis. We’re calling on the UK Government to ensure every young person has access to early support through community-based mental health hubs. The UK Government’s Young Futures hubs initiative has the potential to deliver this, but it must put mental health front and centre of the model.
Positive outcomes for young people require recognition that the education and mental health systems are interconnected; improvements in one cannot happen without addressing the other.
[1] Mind, Not Making the Grade, 2021.
[2] NHS England Digital, Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2023, 2023.
[3] Kessler RC, Berglund P, Demler O, Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE, 2005. Lifetime Prevalence and Age-of-Onset Distributions of DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Archives of General Psychiatry, 62 (6) pp. 593-602. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.593.
