Recent research and anecdotal evidence suggests that we are experiencing a surge in school children struggling with their mental health. Issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, self harm, panic attacks and eating disorders are on the increase.
This can have a serious impact on a child’s childhood and development. For example, anxiety may make it hard for them to attend school or focus on their classes. It may prevent them from doing fun activities and sports, or making new friends.
It is now estimated that in the UK, 20% of young people aged 7 – 25 have a mental health disorder. A situation, Dame Rachel De Souza, the children’s commission for England, calls a “shocking” situation and describes the system as in “crisis.”
This is not just an issue in the UK. The World Health Organisation estimates that one in eight people has a mental health difficulty and 15% of young people.
Events over the last few years have been linked to this increase, such as wars, the covid-19 pandemic, the advent of social media etc.
But some mental health experts are asking it is whether young people are resilient enough?
Resilience is our ability to adapt to new situations, and recover from difficult situations. Facing distress and difficult situations is a normal part of life. Understanding more about mental health difficulties has also been useful in helping to feel understood and less alone, but now we have to support young people to develop the resilience to cope with difficult situations throughout their lives.
For example, helping people to develop better coping skills. Research in Poland suggest that higher levels of resilience leads to improved levels of life satisfaction and can act as a buffer to mental health difficulties in young people. It is important to note that this is most effective with children with lower levels mental health difficulties. Children who are struggling with more serious difficulties will need greater support and techniques to be more effective.
Teaching resilience and coping skills is just one part of improving mental health in children and adults. There are societal factors involved and worldwide events. But we do also have to consider, as a starting point, that as well as teaching children their ABCs, we also need to teach them coping skills to deal with difficult situations.