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Mental health problems likely in one in six children, NHS says

Mental health Pastoral issues Safeguarding Pupil wellbeing Safeguarding
One in six children aged five to 16 now have a probable mental health disorder, the NHS has confirmed.

This represents a notable rise since 2017, the last time research was carried out, when the comparable figure was one in nine.

The research involved 3,570 five to 22-year-olds who were surveyed both in 2017 and in July of this year, shortly after the Covid-19 lockdown and in the midst of the pandemic.

In 2017, 10.8 per cent of five to 16-year-olds were found to have a probable mental health disorder (rising to 12.8 per cent of five to 19-year-olds).

In 2020, this figure has risen to 16 per cent of five to 16-year-olds, with increased rates for both boys (from 11.4 to 16.7 per cent) and girls (from 10.3 to 15.2 per cent).

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