…that is the theme for Children’s Mental Health Week 2023 – this week – and it seems like a highly appropriate theme given that less than two years ago we were all living a far more restricted and compartmentalized existence. Human beings thrive on being together. Yes, there are frictions and interactions can be problematic sometimes but young or old, we are social animals, and sociability was one of the casualties of the pandemic The Office of the Children’s Commissioner ran a survey through the summer of 2021 entitled ‘The Big Ask’, seeking to capture the views, hopes, fears and dreams of the Country’s children post-pandemic. Over half a million young people responded (including all areas of the Country and from the full range of socio-economic and ethnic groups) and much of the headline data is really encouraging. 80% of the surveys indicated that children were happy with their family life. 84% of them said that they were happy at school or college and over 80% said that their mental health was good. But, as with all stats you can turn those numbers around and see the darker side. Even presuming that those who are unhappy might be more likely to be fired up to engage, there are some big numbers there. Drilling down into the wellbeing section of the survey responses reveals some concerning patterns; 20% of the 9-17 year old respondents said that they were unhappy with their mental health, with girls being far more likely to feel this way. Older children (especially older girls) were much more likely to indicate unhappiness with their mental health and wellbeing, and over half of the 9-17 age group said that good mental health was one of their key future aspirations.
The response to the report focuses the mind. In the past, when our understanding of mental health was less sophisticated, it might have been normal to meet complexities with outmoded ideas – the ‘pull yourself together’ response. Even now, children spoke about there still being a taboo around openly talking about issues. As one girl said, “it is such a taboo subject, I don’t know how to get help, simply because it’s so hard to bring up”. A 14 year old girl continued the theme; “I’ve spoken to other people in person and online about this, and a lot of them feel the same way”. If we cannot even begin to talk about a problem, because it is taboo, it is harder to solve. Especially where possible solutions rest on the act of talking itself, and where the pandemic has affected communication. A 13 year old girl; “I think that for some young people, the lack of confidence that they have affects their overall wellbeing, particularly during the pandemic where it is difficult to interact with people”. Children were clear about how the time away from school, their classmates, their friends, and the transition into a largely online world affected them. A 12 year old girl; ‘I think that we all spend so much time on social media, worrying about how many followers we have, that we don’t get enough time to just stop and do nothing, or go outside or spend more time with our families’.
Well, we are back in school and building back is going very well. We will be organizing a number of different activities in school this week, across the year groups, to help break down barriers and ensure that our girls and boys know where to get information and help if they need it. I really do hope that we can make a difference in our own small way, and help to make this generation – the so-called ‘Covid Survivor generation’ – happier and more at ease with their place and prospects in the World.
SDS
