The Mental Health Crisis - What Mental Health Crisis?

Schools are not places traditionally associated with promoting positive mental health, at least not in an overt way.  In general there is a ‘pull your socks up and get on with it’ attitude amongst many teachers.  There is a shift however, as the current generation appear to be suffering from increased problems with their mental health.  Some teachers really do believe it is just attention seeking, others are concerned but feel unable to match the demands placed on them by this ‘crisis’.  But is there really a crisis? Is the mental health of our young people worse today than ever or are there other explanations?

I think this question is more complicated than we realise and we are all too quick to blame social media.  As a teacher I have seen all sorts of students with all sorts of issues, but anorexia and depression was rife amongst my peers at school (and that was quite a long time ago), so what has changed? 

Are more teenagers struggling with mental health issues?  

This is a really hard question to answer.  Research has had mixed results.  Fink et al. (2015) suggests an increase of emotional problems between 2009 and 2014 for girls, but a decrease for boys. This increase is echoed in a review by Borr et al. (2014). But other studies such as Green et al. (2005) suggest no significant change (more recent data is expected to be published next year).  Burt (2016) reports a substantial increase in hospital admissions for self-harm in under 17s.  So it does look like there might be, but studies comparing mental health in the 70s, 80s and 90s with youth of today relies on reports from parents which may not be as accurate as we would like.

Certainly people are reporting that there are more mental health issues amongst young people (parents, teachers and young people themselves).  But is this a sign of the times? We are more open about mental health; the amazing work of so many charities is reducing the stigma of mental health problems so people feel able to ask for help. Are children happier to talk to adults and adults are quicker to recognise when there is an issue?  If this is the case then we are more likely to see an increase in mental health issues.

It is also important to recognise the role the media has on the general population’s perception of mental health. The reporting of mental health in the mainstream media has meant that everyone is talking about it, so regardless of what is actually happening it looks like there is a mental health crisis by the way it is reported.  So when teachers and parents are asked about mental health is it surprising they are reporting more problems when it is at the forefront of public psyche?

Headlines on mental health are increasing so more people are aware of the issues surrounding young people and mental health

Why aren't mental health services coping?

Anecdotally there was a time when CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) would deal with referrals as soon as they came in and you didn’t need to be at crisis point.  Now you can be waiting a good 9 months (personal experience is testament to this) to see someone.  This isn’t simply because more children and young people (CYP) being referred to them it is also because the service itself has been subject to funding cuts (Wolpert et al., 2014) and the criteria for getting treatment have changed so there has to be something seriously wrong before you can access services (Frith, 2016).  CYP are now unable to access help at the early stages of a crisis which would, in the past, have enable problems to be addressed early on stopping them getting worse. There is no NHS service for those with mild to moderate difficulties so the charity sector fills this gap in schools and that means the help and support you get depends very much on where you go to school.

So is there are mental health crisis amongst our youth?

Well there is evidence that young people are experiencing more issues, but it is not necessarily all of their own making.  Yes, more people are coming forward and showing worrying behaviours such as self-harming, but adults are much more open about mental health and also much more able to identify and intervene where mental health might be a problem.  So it is perhaps not unsurprising that more young people are seeking help, and surely this is a good thing.  However, the lack of services and help available mean that problems may escalate where they could have been reduced, further exacerbating a ‘crisis’.

We tend to use the word ‘crisis’ as though our CYP are all at breaking point.  It seems a little like we are blaming the younger generation for not being able to cope with the world adults have created for them.  The ‘crisis’ we constantly refer to is a combination of factors that mean that CYP today are allowed to speak about how they feel and how they are struggling, but then receive little or no help until they reach a crisis point.  There is not going to be a quick fix, we cannot just blame young people. The issues run across many organisations and society as a whole, so perhaps we can call it a crisis, just redefine what the crisis is.

Always finish on a positive note

I have taught in a variety of schools and there are many young people out there who are doing all sorts of amazing things, despite the world around them, and we should not forget to celebrate that!

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What it's all about...

I will start with an introduction and an explanation...

I have been teaching Psychology on and off for the past 15 years.  I say on and off because I have taken time out in between to look after my 3 boys.   My kids are not straight forward (whose are?), my eldest has Asperger's and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, my youngest is struggling with Dyslexia.  I have had to learn a lot in the last 14 years! Somewhere in between I managed to complete an MA in Special and Inclusive Education.

I love teaching. I enjoy knowing that I can make a real difference to a kid's future; watching children grow, become independent and flourish. But I have become increasingly frustrated with the education system's one size fits all approach and insistence on grades at all costs.  When I was asked if we could kick a student off the Psychology course (I didn't by the way) so that the school's results looked better I decided enough was enough and handed in my notice.

So I am taking a sabbatical from teaching and I have a year to research and find out about exactly what is going on with the mental health of our young people and to put that in the context of the education system.  What should we and can we expect of teachers, schools, mental health professionals and the wider community? I have begun my next journey, I vacillate between being very excited and optimistic and absolutely petrified.

In the current climate we see more and more kids with serious mental health issues in school and, as teachers, we are expected to be able to identify and manage these issues.  I have seen lots of kids with mental health issues through their A level years. With no formal training I have mentored, coaxed, listened, met with parents, talked to teachers, and thankfully, every single one of those individuals has made it though their A levels. I know schools have an important part to play, I just worry they have other priorities.

In trying to answer some of the questions around mental health in schools I aim to draw on my knowledge as a psychologist to be as scientifically rigorous as possible, my experience as a teacher to ground the research in reality, and my life as mother of children with mental health issues to offer compassion and understanding to those involved.

If you are interested in joining me on this journey please do follow me on this blog, facebook and twitter.