Children's Mental Health Week | The Guide

Children’s Mental Health Week is meant to shine a spotlight on the importance of children and young people’s mental health. Mental health affects everyone so encouraging younger children to get involved in expressing themselves and being part of the discussion from a young age is captivating. 

From the 5th - 11th February 2024, schools, youth groups, organisations and individuals across the UK will take part in Children’s Mental Health Week. This year’s theme is 'My Voice Matters', which inspires those who feel the burden of staying silent to exercise their right to be heard.

Understanding the links between communication difficulties and mental health challenges is vital in encouraging children to express themselves and speak up.

Research shows that 45% of young people referred for mental health services have communication difficulties. Frustration, a sense of isolation, and confusion can all compound feelings of distress and anxiety and contribute to poor mental health.

Many children and young people with one of the more severe forms of SLCN, Developmental Language Disorder, suffer from mental health problems. The difficulty is compounded by the fact that many interventions to support children’s mental health are based on talking. These interventions are likely to be less effective if children and young people have a language difficulty and adults supporting them need to make adjustments to allow for this.

Children need support from their teachers and families however, research shows that almost a third (29%) of parents admit they would feel embarrassed if their child wanted counselling, and 34% feel other parents would judge them.

The findings of the survey of 1029 parents of children aged 5 – 18 years reveal that despite greater awareness and successful anti-stigma campaigns over the past six years, there is still work to be done. Attitudes among parents remain largely unchanged since the first Children’s Mental Health Week in 2015, when 30% of parents reported they would be embarrassed if their child wanted counselling.  

In the latest survey, dads were more likely to feel uncomfortable (37% said they’d feel embarrassed, compared to 22% of mums), which also reflects very similar results in 2015 (38% vs 23%)

The pandemic has undoubtedly taken its toll. Almost one in six (15%) parents rated their child’s mental health as ‘poor’ or ‘very poor’, and 31% said it is ‘worse’ or ‘much worse’ than before the pandemic. Despite the stigma, half (50%) of parents said the pandemic has made them more likely to encourage their child to have counselling if they need it.

The research commissioned by Place2Be also revealed that:

• “It’s still taboo”: 55% of young people face barriers in accessing mental health support
• Over half of parents think the staff and leadership team in their child’s school need more training on how to support children’s mental health and wellbeing (56% and 54% respectively)
• A third (33%) don’t know who is in charge of mental health and wellbeing at their child’s school.

Did you know that half of lifetime mental illness starts by the age of 14?

Childhood trauma can have long-lasting effects on an individual and even cause instability in adult years yet, on average, local NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) spend less than 1% of their overall budget on children’s mental health and 14 times more on adult mental health services than on services for children. 

If children are the future, then shouldn’t the UK’s children’s mental health system be more supportive? 

If you are at a loss about how to help a young person close to you who is struggling with their mental health in school, consider seeking professional advice from any resident counsellor or medical staff and read up on some ideas on what you can do to help them feel at ease amidst their low points.