By Sophie Richards

For this year’s World Mental Health day (10th October), we reflect on how the pandemic is continuing to impact the mental health of young people worldwide.

Providing vulnerable children and young people access to adequate support prior to the pandemic was already an issue, with mental health services and local authority funding under strain, this was exacerbated by the pandemic, the devastating effects of which we are now seeing.

Protecting the personal wellbeing of children and young people must be at the top of the government agenda. Whilst the world has been reeling from the innumerable effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, a new health crisis has emerged with deeply damaging consequences; an epidemic of mental health conditions amongst children and young people.

Have you heard of school-anxiety?

Whilst the impact of lockdowns and time spent away from school on mental health was discernible, a ‘tsunami’ of school-anxiety cases are emerging now that young people are returning to the classroom.

Anxiety is a feeling of unease, such as worry or fear, that can be mild or severe. Everyone has feelings of anxiety at some point in their life. For example, being worried about sitting an exam or giving a speech to peers: it is our body’s natural response to stress. However when these feelings of anxiety are extreme and interfere with daily life, an anxiety disorder may be diagnosed. School-anxiety is a feeling of overwhelming worry associated with attending school. 

According to the DfE, children with special educational needs or a disability, disabled young people, children and young people with disadvantaged family backgrounds and some children from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds reported being more anxious than children and young people without these characteristics. 

Common traits associated with school-anxiety are:

• Stomach pain

• Nausea

• Headaches

• Sleep disturbance 

• Immobilising anxiety

• Panic attacks

These debilitating levels of anxiety often prevent young people from attending school, resulting in adverse consequences. This may include lost learning, poor school performance, isolation, low self esteem, and social and behavioural problems. We have witnessed this through our Alternative Provision, in which we provide tutors who support learners to self-regulate their emotions and build their confidence and self-esteem, helping them reintegrate into school and into their communities. 

According to The Children’s Society, 5 children in a classroom of 30 are likely to experience a mental health problem, however there is an evident lack of official school-anxiety data due to young people being labelled as truants. 

World Mental Health Day

The World Health Organisation recognises World Mental Health day on Sunday 10th October. The day aims to shine a light on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental health, including students, who have been particularly affected. During the World Mental Health Assembly in May 2021, global governments recognised the need to scale up quality mental health services at all levels. This year, the campaign will showcase global efforts and highlight personal positive stories in order to inspire others. The motto ‘Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality’ is a message of hope for children and young people worldwide. 

CASE STUDY 1

Student feedback:

“I have been using a tutor from Equal for just over a year now. I have not been able to access education due to health so a tutor has been working with me at home. This has worked so well for me. Last year I achieved my functional skills in Maths and English and then went on to study for my GCSEs. I am actually now taking four GCSE’s and expected to get good grades and this wouldn’t of happened had it not been for the guidance and support of my {Tutor} and Equal Education. I can’t thank them enough and will actually be sad when I’m finished this year!”