As the mental health crisis in children and young people worsens, parents and grandparents are losing sleep

Mind have released new research which suggests parents and grandparents are being negatively impacted by the mental health struggles that their children and grandchildren are experiencing. The research surveyed over 2,000 grandparents and 2,000 parents to gauge what the current crisis is doing to children, their parents and grandparents.

Written by Bryony Porteous-Sebouhian

Data revealed by Mind shows that fewer than 15% of parents believe the UK government is doing enough to support young people’s mental health

The Mind research has identified widespread support for a network of early mental health support hubs, to provide young people with easily accessible mental health services. The early support hubs were first suggested by Mind last year , through their campaign #FundtheHubs which was announced by president and public figure, Stephen Fry.

Key to these early support hubs is the idea of prevention. The aim of the hubs is to provide vital wrap around wellbeing support for young people when problems with mental health first arise, and with no need for referrals or appointments.

Research by Mind has found that parents and grandparents are gravely concerned for the mental health of their children and grandchildren. One in three grandparents stated that mental health is their biggest concern for their grandchildren.

While half of parents worry that their child’s mental health is worse than it was pre-pandemic.

Other key findings from the Mind data:

• 71% of parents said it is difficult for young people to access NHS mental health support
• only 21% think the government is doing enough to support young people’s mental health
• 75% believe that the UK is facing a mental health

What does Mind have to say about these findings?

Paul Farmer, CEO at Mind has said these new statistics found by them “highlight the crisis parents and grandparents are experiencing first hand when it comes to the mental health of their own children and grandchildren.”

He continued: “The mental health needs of young people are increasing rapidly. Recent figures show that one in six children aged five to 16 identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2021*. In 2017, it was one in nine young people. However young people are still left facing an agonising wait in a system that cannot keep up with demand and the UK government’s response so far has just not been good enough.”

Speaking about Mind’s suggestion of early support hubs to tackle this great unmet need, Paul mentioned the upcoming 10-year cross-government plan for mental health, stating that it “must commit to Funding the Hubs” and emphasised the need for a service that is dedicated to preventing 11-25-year-olds from reaching crisis point.

What is the full picture of the grandparents and parents surveyed for the Mind research?

On grandparent’s views about young people’s mental health, Mind found:

• 79% believe young people face more pressure now than in their day
• 63% think young people are lonelier now
• 18% feel as though their own wellbeing has worsened because of their concern over their grandchildren’s mental health.

Parent’s views on young people’s mental health were:

• 90% believe young people should have access to early support when they first start experiencing problems with their mental health
• 90% think drop-in mental health support should be available in their communities
• 82% of parents believe waiting times are too long for young people to access mental health support, while 71% believe support for young people when they first experiencing mental health problems is not accessible enough
• just over half of parents expressed worry that their children’s potential could be limited without proper mental health support.

Natalie Bailey, chair of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy has said:

“It’s distressing that parents and grandparents are not only seeing the devastating impact the pandemic has had on their children’s mental health, but that it’s having an effect on their own wellbeing too. They’re desperate to know what they can do to help, where they can turn for support and many feel like they face a brick wall when trying to access mental health support for their children.”

Natalie also spoke in favour of the support hubs, and for the investment necessary to make them happen: “Investment that will provide early access to a specialist children and young people’s counsellor in communities, such as in these hubs, is crucial in meeting the rising mental health demands of young people. We know there are trained and skilled counsellors able to take on these roles if funding was provided. The Government must listen to these calls for further investment in specialist counselling provision for those children, young people and families who desperately need support.”

These new findings are further proof that the impact of the mental health crisis facing young people today is wide reaching. As Paul Farmer of Mind pointed out, a focus on early prevention in youth mental health services absolutely must be a priority in their upcoming mental health strategy.