Children and young people’s mental health will be better
supported in the government's new 10-Year Mental Health Plan
following constructive discussions today.
Minister for Mental Health and the government's first
UK Youth Mental Health Ambassador Dr Alex George met with the
Youth Policy Development Group today to better understand their
priorities for improving young peoples’ mental health and
wellbeing, in order to ensure these are reflected in policies
which affect children and young people.
Today’s meeting discussed the mental health and wellbeing support
that would improve the quality of life for young people. They
also discussed how the government can prevent mental ill-health
for children and young people, with the group providing ideas for
ways to better support mental health in the places where children
spend most of their time, such as in schools, universities and
the workplace, and how to create a better understanding of who
they would turn to if they were struggling with their mental
health.
So far, 13% of respondents to the call for evidence are aged
16-24, 5% are aged 13-15 and less than 2% of respondents are
under 13.
Around 50% of mental health conditions are established by the
time a child reaches the age of 14, and 75% by age 24 - that is
why we are urging young people to come forward and share their
experiences to ensure the support and services available work for
them.
It’s crucial the new plan is representative of everyone’s views
and experiences to help ensure everyone, no matter their
background, has the opportunity to grow up in, and stay in, good
mental health.
Minister for Mental Health, , said:
“Today was such a valuable conversation with children and young
people.
“Listening to their ideas first hand will help us better
understand the specific barriers they’re facing and how we can
better support them to live long, full lives in good mental
health.
“Our call for evidence is open to people of all ages and I
encourage children and young people to share their views and
experiences on the support and services currently available to
make sure our new 10 year plan works for you.”
Dr Alex George, Youth Mental Health Ambassador,
said:
“Children and young people are incredibly resilient and we have
made great progress in reducing the stigma associated with mental
ill-health, but there is still work to do.
“It has been hugely valuable to listen to young people’s ideas
today and hear first-hand the support they feel would be valuable
to improving their own, and their peers’, wellbeing.
“Let’s continue to tackle the stigma that surrounds mental health
– I encourage young people to respond to this call for evidence
so that in 10 years from now, we can better support your mental
health."
The pandemic placed considerable strain on the NHS, meaning many
patients are now waiting longer for treatment than they were
before the pandemic began. The government is investing £39
billion via the health and social care levy over the next three
years so the NHS has the funding it needs to clear the backlogs.
As well as this, the government is increasing investment in
children and young people’s mental health services faster than
the overall budget for mental health to ensure they can access
support as early as possible to prevent any problems
deteriorating.
The 12-week call for evidence will seek views on what can be
improved within the current service and build understanding of
the causes of mental ill-health. This will inform a new 10-Year
Mental Health Plan to level up mental health across the country
and put mental and physical health on an equal footing. The plan
will build on current progress, assessing how local services can
work together to prevent mental ill health.
Significant progress is also being made in children and young
people’s mental health services - more than 2.4 million children
and young people now have access to mental health support in
schools and colleges thanks to the Mental Health Support Teams
and the £10 million investment from the Department for Education
to extend senior mental health lead training to more schools and
colleges.
More widely, the government is investing at least £2.3 billion of
extra funding a year to expand and transform mental health
services by 2023/24 as part of the NHS Long Term Plan. On top of
this, £500 million has also been provided in 2021/22 specifically
to support those most impacted by the pandemic to address waiting
times and expand the mental health workforce. This included £79
million for children’s mental health services last year, enabling
around 22,500 more children and young people to access support in
their communities, and across schools and colleges. The NHS
children and young people’s mental health workforce has also
grown 40% since 2019.
ENDS
Notes to editors
