Responding to research from the Sutton Trust into the
difficulties young people are having in accessing mental health
support, Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of
School and College Leaders, said:
“The fact that the incidence of poor mental health among young
people remains very high is not only the legacy of the pandemic
but also the impact of the ongoing cost-of-living crisis on
families.
“Even before this surge in demand, specialist mental health
services in many areas were unable to cope. Consequently, young
people with complex needs often face very long and unacceptable
waits for the support they urgently require. This in turn plays a
part in the high rates of pupil absence experienced across the
country with young people missing out on education that is vital
to their life chances.
“It is particularly disturbing that this study finds that young
people in the most deprived parts of the country are less likely
to have received support than those in affluent areas. Once
again, it seems that it is the poorest who suffer the most.
“It is of the utmost importance that more resources are put into
mental health support services for young people, that those who
require specialist treatment receive that treatment immediately,
and that the government tackles the very high rate of child
poverty in the UK.
“None of this should really need saying and yet we seem to be in
a situation of having said this repeatedly for years without this
action being taken.”
