Read: The rising tide of children’s poor mental health cannot be ignored

The incidence of poor mental health amongst children and young people is increasing to critical levels and it is becoming ever clearer that you can’t separate the individual experience from the huge social and economic repercussions that will follow.

Young people who have poor mental health and wellbeing are more likely to suffer from poor physical health, and into adulthood. It means that a good learning experience and exam success at school is less likely, with a reduced chance of progressing to further education. Aspiring to a career or holding down a job is more difficult. Relationships suffer and the sense of isolation which is often a prelude to self-harm, eating disorders and suicide can be overwhelming. The impact of those negative individual experiences will almost certainly extend to the reduced contribution those affected will be able to make to the economic and social fabric of the country during the course of their lives.

A recent report by the Commission on Young Lives, written in conjunction with the thinktank Centre for Mental Health and the Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition, has drawn a stark picture of the current situation. One of its co-authors, former Children’s Commissioner, Anne Longfield, has called it ‘a profound crisis’, and, in her opinion, one which has the potential to derail not only the lives of those individuals affected but also the country’s future prosperity more widely.

 It found that one in six children aged six to 16 had a probable mental health problem, an increase from one in nine in 2017. In March, over 90,000 young people were referred to NHS mental health services, the highest figures since records began. School leaders and youth workers say dealing with young people who self-harm or attempt suicide is now ‘a regular part of their professional lives’.

 There is a huge disparity in waiting times for treatment, ranging from six days in some regions to 81 in others. The latest figures show just 23% of children referred to services started treatment within four weeks. There are horror stories of young people who have attempted suicide who have not been contacted by mental health services for weeks.

 The Commission on Young Lives focuses particularly on marginalised children and young people who are at risk of falling into violence, exploitation and crime. Often from some of our most deprived communities with chaotic family lives, without help they are likely to perpetuate those cycles of disadvantage. The pandemic affected almost every aspect of their lives, from their schooling to a rise in domestic violence. The current cost of living crisis will only add to the challenges that will become overwhelming for some of them.

 Exacerbated by the pandemic, the explosion of poor mental health amongst the young has also seen many experience problems for the first time. This is evident in the figures for not just self-harm, but also in eating disorders where hospital admissions have risen by 84% in the last five years, 35% in the last year alone as Covid hit.  Significantly, a particularly stark rise in eating disorder admissions, 128%, was seen in boys and young men in 2020-2021. Reduced contact during the pandemic has also meant that children did not have access to large social groups and educators have reported delays in their speech and language development, leading to difficulties communicating with their peers. Added to this are lower levels of resilience and confidence and higher levels of anxiety among students.

 There have been positive efforts to improve the situation. The Government has committed to a ten-year plan to help address it. There is more early help in schools and increased spending and better access to NHS Children and Young People’s Mental Health Services. But those gains are threatened by the ever-increasing numbers of children seeking help and the long waiting lists for effective treatment. The issue as a whole needs to be at the top of Whitehall’s policy agenda. Children and their families, and the country at large, will pay a very high price for inaction.