Mentally Healthy School

Wellbeing

Further information and sources of support about common mental health issues

Prevalence of Mental Health and Emotional Wellbeing Issues

At least 250,000 children in England’s schools have an identified mental health need.

1 in 10 children and young people aged 5 - 16 suffer from a diagnosable mental health disorder - that is around three children in every class.
Between 1 in every 12 and 1 in 15 children and young people deliberately self-harm.
There has been a big increase in the number of young people being admitted to hospital because of self-harm. Over the last ten years this figure has increased by 68%.
More than half of all adults with mental health problems were diagnosed in childhood. Less than half were treated appropriately at the time.
Nearly 80,000 children and young people suffer from severe depression.
The number of young people aged 15-16 with depression nearly doubled between the 1980s and the 2000s.
Over 8,000 children aged under 10 years old suffer from severe depression.
3.3% or about 290,000 children and young people have an anxiety disorder.
72% of children in care have behavioural or emotional problems - these are some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

Below, we have sign-posted information and guidance about the issues most commonly seen in school-aged children. The links will take you through to the most relevant page of the listed website. Some pages are aimed primarily at parents but they are listed here because we think they are useful for school staff too.

Support on all of these issues can be accessed via Young Minds (https://www.youngminds.org.uk/), Mind (https://www.mind.org.uk/), (for e-learning opportunities) Minded (https://www.minded.org.uk/), https://www.samaritans.org/, https://www.sane.org.uk/how-we-help/emotional-support/saneline-services, https://www.rethink.org/aboutus/what-we-do/advice-and-information-service/