The proportion of children experiencing a probable mental disorder has increased over the past three years, from one in nine in 2017 to one in six in July this year.
The rate has risen in boys aged 5 to 16 from 11.4% in 2017 to 16.7% in July 2020 and in girls from 10.3% to 15.2% over the same time period, according to The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2020 report, published recently by NHS Digital, in collaboration with the Office for National Statistics, the National Centre for Social Research, the University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter.
The likelihood of a probable mental disorder increases with age, with a noticeable difference in gender for the older age group (17 to 22 year olds); 27.2% of young women and 13.3% of young men in this age group were identified as having a probable mental disorder in 2020.
This report looks at the mental health of children and young people in England in July 2020, and how this has changed since 2017. Experiences of family life, education and services, and worries and anxieties during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic are also examined. The findings draw on a sample of 3,570 children and young people aged between 5 to 22 years old, surveyed in both 2017 and July 2020
...and response
Mental health support for children and young people must be accelerated and expanded to meet growing levels of need, Centre for Mental Health chief executive Sarah Hughes responding to findings from NHS Digital said:
“The significant rise in mental ill-health amongst children and young people is both undeniable and extremely concerning. While the Government have pledged more support for children and young people in schools, it is all too clear that this support must be both sped up and scaled up, to meet growing levels of need.
The study shows clear links between family circumstances and children and young people’s mental health. Whilst greater support for children’s mental health services is necessary, a holistic approach is vital to promote good mental health from the earliest opportunity. We have long been calling for greater support for parents and investment in whole family approaches to child mental health.
The findings once again highlight the impact of poverty and inequality on children and young people’s mental health, with far higher rates of child mental health problems in households which were struggling to pay bills.
Attempting to increase support for young people without a cross-government approach to mental health will have limited success. Now more than ever, it is critical that government departments, the NHS and local systems come together to address mental health, not just through increased investment in individual support but by tackling the ingrained disadvantages which make some young people much more likely to face poor mental health.
Our Commission for Equality in Mental Health has been highlighting the impact of poverty and other inequalities on the mental health of children and adults and will be sharing its conclusions in November. Our learning from the Commission has emphasised the need to strengthen our understanding of these inequalities and to unravel the factors which put children at risk of poorer mental health and the ways they intersect, compound and multiply.
The survey also shows evidence of regional disparities in mental health problems among children, with prevalence rates ranging from 10% in London to 20.5% in the West Midlands. This requires further exploration but it is clear that more regional approaches to understanding need and investment may be needed.
Any support for young people which does not acknowledge the wider causes of distress and deprivation, such as poverty, poor housing and discrimination, will have limited value. Now, more than ever, it is vital that a cross-government approach is taken to ensure young people are given the best chance of a mentally healthy future."
Things about obesity...
The latest annual figures on childhood obesity in England have been released by NHS Digital.
The National Child Measurement Programme, 2019-20 provides data on the heights and weights of children in Reception and Year 6 in England during the 2019-20 school year and provides data on the number of children who are underweight, healthy weight, overweight, obese or severely obese. Breakdowns include gender, deprivation and ethnicity for both age groups.
At a national level, analysis indicates that these figures are directly comparable to previous years, for all breakdowns. However, at a local authority level, this is not possible for all cases.
This is because the collection period for schools to measure their children runs from September to August each year. By 20 March 2020, schools had closed to many children in the UK, in response to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Some local authorities were either in the process of weighing their children for the NCMP or had not yet started.
This had a significant impact on the volume of data collected across the country. At a national level, the data quality analyses indicate that the figures presented in this release are comparable to earlier years, and the population measured is reflective of previous years, though at a lower volume
Key Facts:
In Reception, obesity prevalence has increased 9.7% in 2018-19 to 9.9% in 2019-20
In Year 6, obesity prevalence has increased 20.2% in 2018-19 to 21.0% in 2019-20
Boys have a higher obesity prevalence than girls for both age groups In Reception, 10.1% of boys were obese compared to 9.7% of girls. In Year 6, 23.6% of boys were obese compared to 18.4% of girls
Children living in the most deprived areas were more than twice as likely to be obese, than those living in the least deprived areas
13.3% of Reception children living in the most deprived areas were obese compared to 6.0% of those living in the least deprived areas.
27.5% of Year 6 children living in the most deprived areas were obese compared to 11.9% of those living in the least deprived areas
Things about unhealthy food...
A new consultation has been launched by Department of Health and Social Care and Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport on proposals to ban online adverts for foods high in fat, sugar and salt in the UK to tackle the obesity crisis and get the nation fit and healthy.
When: Tuesday 17th November 13:00 - 14:00pmVenue: Virtual & from the Education & Skills CentrePresenter: Praveena MahadevanPaper: Use of anti-reflux medications in infants under 1 year of age: a retrospective drug utilization study using national prescription reimbursement data
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