More than one in four (26 per cent) of school children aged between 10 and 15 are worried or sad about their families not having enough money, a survey has found. 

The survey of 1,323 schoolchildren was carried out by YouGov and commissioned by the Mental Health Foundation. 

According to the latest child and adolescent mental health statistics for England, children living in households in the lowest 20 per cent income bracket are more than twice as likely to develop mental health problems as those living in households in the highest 20 per cent bracket.  

Mark Rowland, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation said: “Our survey highlights that many children are seriously worried about their parents’ finances.

“We have a responsibility to help children to deal with this and other pressures they are facing in today’s society.   

He added: “This is why we’re calling for mental health to be at the heart of what children learn in school.

“Schools can play a much bigger role in equipping children with the skills they need.”