Headteachers say mental health issues among children are a growing problem in schools

This deeply concerning headline appeared in the Independent today but, it could just as easily be in newspapers in several countries around the World, sadly. The article goes on to say:

An annual survey conducted by The Key, an organisation providing management support to schools, found that more than two-thirds (67 per cent) of respondents said they were worried about their pupils’ mental health.

This contrasted sharply with a similar survey last year, where 14 per cent of heads were concerned about this.

A look by UNICEF in 2007 at, 'A comprehensive assessment of the lives and well-being of children and adolescents in the economically advanced nations', found:

The United Kingdom and the United States find themselves in the bottom third of the rankings for five of the six dimensions reviewed.

Whilst statistics from Young Minds tell us:

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%

There is often much head scratching, beard stroking, brow furrowing and some finger pointing at this point when such statistics emerge. What is going on? Why are our children so stressed and distressed? Is it the parents? The schools? Are the children too privileged? Too poor?

Many point to the ridiculous amount of testing, measuring and assessing now heaped upon children from start to finish. However, subtly its done, it does not take account of the pressure the parents feel to ensure their children 'do well' so they are not disadvantaged as life IS very competitive now.

Add to that the pressure on families for both parents to work, via benefit cuts and incentives. The expectation that women will give birth and return to work 'as soon as' because their is ongoing evidence of how their careers are impacted and the double standards that STILL exist in the workplace.

Children spend more time in the care of professionals now and then often come home to stressed, exhausted parents trying to do their best to ensure homework is done, cakes are produced for sales, PE kit, trip money, equipment for various projects, attendance at school information evenings, some kind of social life and the temptation to check work emails and seek solace in social media!

The amount of time just 'being', chatting, rather that running through a checklist, sharing feelings in the long rambling, heading off in another direction then returning via exploring why kittens are called 'kittens' and not 'cattens' can be overlooked. Children are primarily wired to be emotional and relational beings so they need regular soothing, unpacking and processing of their emotions. That is how they learn to be less overwhelmed by them, to recognise what they are feeling, where in their bodies they might feel it and how to put it into words, that is the foundation of good mental health for life. Regularly having feelings based conversations in daily life isn't hard to do for most people and there are some great simple books about feelings available now. However, it does need to be a priority for every home, early years setting and school in the land, now and always.