Legal News

An evidence review published by the Centre for Mental Health – Missed Opportunities by Lorraine Khan – finds that mental health problems are very common among young people, but awareness is poor and most attempts by parents to get help for their children are unsuccessful.

For many children and young people, a decade of delay sees their problems multiply and get progressively worse, eventually escalating into a crisis.

Missed Opportunities also finds that the most common mental health problems among children are behavioural problems, which severely affect one child in every 20.

Boys are more likely to have mental health problems during early years – but by teenage years, girls are more likely to have emotional problems.

The review finds inconclusive evidence about changes over time – but notes that there have been worrying recent reports of growing levels of distress among teenage girls and young women.

The review also finds that some groups of children and young people face especially high risks for poor mental health – including children who have been subjected to neglect and abuse, children who are bullied or who bully, and children whose parents have mental health problems.

Groups with higher rates of poor mental health also include lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) young people, as well as those in the youth justice system and those who have been looked after by local authorities.

Associate director for children and young people at Centre for Mental Health, Lorraine Khan, said:

“Childhood mental health problems are extremely common and can be very serious – they affect ten per cent of children each year and can cast a long shadow well into adult life.

“Good mental health is shaped very early on at the first spark of life – childhood experiences and exposure to risks for poor mental health make some children especially vulnerable to both emotional and behavioural problems; and the longer they are exposed to risks such as neglect, abuse, bullying and the effects of poverty, the more their life chances are undermined.

“Most common childhood mental health problems can be treated effectively – early help is vital to have the best chance of success.

“There is good evidence for a range of interventions to boost children’s mental health – and the sooner effective help is offered, the more likely it is to work.”

Ms Khan added that schools had “a particularly important role in protecting children’s mental health”.

“This can be done most effectively through a ‘whole school approach’ – including classroom-based skills development and awareness raising, anti-bullying programmes, raised staff mental health literacy, and speedy access to help for children who need it.

“We need to take every opportunity to support families and schools to build firm foundations for children’s mental health,” she added.

“We need to raise awareness of the first signs of poor mental health – and reinforce the importance of getting early help.

“And we need to offer effective and young people friendly help for every child of any age at the first signs of difficulty.

“Waiting for a child’s mental health to deteriorate until it hits crisis point causes untold distress and damage to their lives – and carries a heavy social and economic cost,” said Ms Khan.

“We have to take action now to offer high quality help quickly to children and young people everywhere.”

Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors

Duncan Lewis is the UK’s largest provider of Legal Aid mental health services and can advise mental health patients on a wide range of issues – including access to NHS mental health services and detention under the Mental Health Act.

Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors regularly visit NHS hospitals and police stations to advise on mental health law – and are available nationwide at short notice for hospital and police station appointments.

In some cases, Duncan Lewis mental health solicitors may be able to advise the nearest relative or carer of a mental health patient on a range of issues, including initiating treatment reviews where appropriate.

For expert legal advice on mental health law, call the Duncan Lewis Mental Health Solicitors Helpline on 0333 772 0409.