A rather grim & growing report from Sky News has suggested that COVID-19 has created a crisis for ‘years to come’ – as lockdowns have put children under ‘unprecedented’ levels of distress
Sky News is given unique access to a child and adolescent mental health trust to see first hand the crises children are facing.
Before the pandemic, A&E attendances by children with psychiatric conditions had tripled in the last 10 years. Now, month on month, the numbers arriving at hospital are continuing to rise.
Often children will self-harm or harm themselves in other ways to deal with stressful situation.
A surge in referral
The CAMHS team is dealing with a surge in referrals – self-harm, suicide attempts, anxiety – a grim but growing list of troubles.
“There is going to be a section of people in our society who are kind of surviving through this now and are in total survival mode,” said the trust’s lead clinical psychologist, Dr Chantal Basson.
“And as we come out of the pandemic, we’re more likely to see the mental health impact on those young people and families.”
Read the Report here
This guide from Mental Health.org is for parents and carers to help children understand, protect and sustain their mental health.
It is important that children are encouraged and supported to look after their mental health every day. This guide offers suggestions for how you can help your child do this. The guide also offers advice for what you can do when things get tough and if you’re worried about your child’s mental health.