Pupils with a probable mental health disorder were more than three times more likely to be regularly absent from lessons than their peers, according to new NHS data.
The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022 survey, the results of which have been released today, shows that 12.6 per cent of those with a probable mental health condition missed more than 15 days of school, compared with 3.9 per cent of those unlikely to have one.
It is the third survey in a series of follow-ups to the 2017 Mental Health of Children and Young People (MHCYP) survey.
The sample comprised 2,866 of the children and young people who took part in the MHCYP 2017 survey.
Since the 2017 reports, the proportion of 17- to 19-year-olds with a probable mental health disorder has more than doubled from 10 per cent to 26 per cent in 2022.
Among 7- to 16-year-olds, the proportion with a probable mental health disorder has risen 6 percentage points from 2017 to 18 per cent in 2022. The proportion was 16.7 per cent in 2020 and 17.8 per cent in 2021.
Rise in child mental health problems
In 2022, among those aged 7 to 10, the prevalence of a probable mental disorder was nearly twice as high in boys (19.7 per cent) as it was in girls (10.5 per cent).
But this pattern changes with pupils’ age.
In the 11 to 16 age range, the rates of a probable mental health disorder were similar in boys (18.8 per cent) and girls (22 per cent).
Among 17- to 24-year-olds, the prevalence was much higher in young women (31.2 per cent) than young men (13.3 per cent).
The research shows that 11- to 16-year-olds with a probable mental health disorder were less likely to feel safe at school (61.2 per cent) than those unlikely to have a mental disorder (89.2 per cent).
They were also less likely to report enjoyment of learning or having a friend they could turn to for support.
Across all 11- to 16-year-olds surveyed, regardless of whether they were likely to have a mental health disorder or not, 38.6 per cent were worried about the impact that Covid-19 has had on their schoolwork and almost half (43.5 per cent) were worried about the effect on their future exam results.
Secondary school students likely to have a mental health condition were also more than four times more likely (70 per cent) to try to access support in school than those unlikely to have a disorder (15 per cent).
That said, only just over half (57 per cent) of all 11- to 16-year-olds felt comfortable talking about their mental health with adults at school, despite 83 per cent reporting that they knew how to get support in school. Six out of 10 agreed school support would be helpful.
The roles of emergency health practitioners or mental health support teams were not evaluated as part of the research or survey.
One of the report’s authors, Dr Tamsin Newlove-Delgado, from the University of Exeter Medical School, said we should be “particularly worried” about primary school-aged boys, who were almost twice as likely (20 per cent) to have a probable mental health condition than girls (11 per cent) at that age.
She continued: “We’ve seen a significant increase in mental health problems in children and young people, which rose sharply over the pandemic and haven’t dropped back to pre-Covid levels.
“This will not be a ‘quick fix’, but, as a society, we need to prioritise supporting young people to get the best start to their lives.”
The survey was commissioned by NHS Digital and carried out earlier this year by the Office for National Statistics, the NatCen Social Research, the University of Cambridge and the University of Exeter.
Sophie Corlett, interim chief executive for mental charity Mind, said: ”The UK government will be failing an entire generation unless it prioritises investment in young people’s mental health services, and specifically funds mental health hubs for young people.
“The provision of a network of early support hubs for young people across England would guarantee somewhere to go when they first start to struggle with their mental health - rather than being left to reach crisis point and needing more intensive, expensive support later on.”
