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Understanding Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Family life and relationships

Both the causes and effects of mental health and well-being are reflected in a wide
range of life events and circumstances.

We know that children from certain backgrounds and circumstances are more at risk
than others of developing a mental health condition. These more vulnerable children
include those who are looked after by local authorities, those leaving care, victims
of abuse or exploitation, disabled or physically unwell children and those within the
criminal justice system.

When parents are separating, divorcing or frequently fighting, children can become very
insecure, sometimes showing their distress by becoming withdrawn or behaving badly.
Concentration at school is often affected as a result, then academic performance is in
turn affected.

Children and young people experiencing mental ill health but not receiving appropriate
support are three times more likely to become a teenage parent, four times more likely
to experiment with substance use, and twenty times more likely to end up in prison,
according to the findings of the independent Mental Health Task Force report for The
Five Year Forward View for Mental Health.

Children living in poor housing conditions have an increased chance of experiencing
stress, anxiety and depression. If children are living in circumstances where they
cannot find any space or sufficient peace and quiet to study and do homework,
their performance at school may be affected.

Education

Most children and young people have goals and ambitions in life. To have the best
chance of achieving these, they need to grow up to be confident and resilient, which
can be difficult when they are experiencing mental ill health.

Mental ill health makes concentration and learning more difficult, and results in a
lower educational attainment overall. For example, children with conduct disorders –
this is when the child or young person behaves badly over a period of several months
– are twice as likely to leave school without qualifications. Conduct disorder is much
more than ordinary mischief or adolescent rebelliousness and is when the child is
repeatedly disobedient and aggressive, and seriously breaking rules at home
or school.

Episodes of mental ill health can be isolating, frightening and debilitating for
children and young people, and they affect sleep patterns, eating habits and
general well-being. These in turn affect the ability of the child or young person
to learn and benefit from lessons and activities at school.

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