News report: “Young people are suffering – more needs to be done to prevent tragedies”

Ahead of World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September, experts are concerned we don’t have the means to deal with the mental health fallout post pandemic, with 83 per cent of under-25s saying it has made their anxiety worse. Closer investigates how we can help our children…

I DESPERATELY WANTED TO HELP MY DAUGHTER BUT I FELT ILL EQUIPPED

When Jane Young’s* daughter turned to her recently and said, ‘Mum, I didn’t think I’d live to see the summer’, it was a sharp reminder of how close to the brink her 14-year-old daughter, Zoe*, had been.

Zoe has suffered from depression and anxiety for the past two years and has tried to take her own life three times since February this year. Meanwhile, Jane felt alone and unsupported as she desperately sought help for her daughter from her school and doctors.

SELF HARM

Jane, a secondary school teacher who lives in Kent, says, “I feel ashamed and guilty that even I didn’t realise how seriously ill Zoe was. I put some of her behaviour – such as staying in her room or getting angry with me – down to ‘normal’ teenage behaviour.

“But once she admitted that she was self-harming in December, I did everything I could, contacting her school and calling doctors. Zoe is finally getting counselling and is on antidepressants after she ended up in hospital in April. But she’d made two attempts before that and all they could do was put her on a long waiting list for the Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS). I was terrified.”

According to research, seven per cent of children have attempted suicide by the age of 17 and almost one in four say they’ve self-harmed in the past year. While the most recent statistics showed a welcome dip in suicide in the 10-24 age group in the period from April to July 2020, there is still reason to be concerned.

Jacqui Morrissey, Assistant Director of Research and Influencing at Samaritans, says, “The latest ONS data is very reassuring as it confirms that there was no dramatic increase in suicide rates during the early phase of the pandemic.

“However, this data is now over a year old and we know that the pandemic is going to have a long-lasting impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Government must put suicide prevention at the heart of post-pandemic recovery plans and, if this drop in numbers is to be more than just a one-off, introduce a national system of real-time suicide reporting that means we can rely on accurate, up-to-date information for tackling suicide and measuring progress. Suicide is preventable, not inevitable, but we need more resources.”

There are indications those resources will be badly needed. From September last year, there was a sharp increase in referrals to CAMHS, up by 180 per cent last November. The pandemic has been difficult for many, and children have had to deal with the closure of schools, exam pressures, social isolation, regular Covid testing when schools reopened and concern for family and friends who may have become ill. Youth charity YoungMinds has revealed that 83 per cent of under-25s say the pandemic has made their mental health worse. And Childline revealed that since April 2020 it has provided 20,789 counselling sessions about suicidal thoughts and feelings.

For Jane, it’s something she worries about daily for her daughter. Zoe started to feel low when she lost her beloved grandfather in 2018. And in 2019 she started at secondary school, which triggered her anxiety even more.

FINAL STRAW

But Jane believes the pandemic was the final straw.

She says, “Zoe gave up on home-schooling because our internet kept cutting out and she hated the isolation. I wish there were more help out there for children and their parents. I work in a school and I can see how young people are struggling – I know of one girl who made an attempt on her life and, tragically, one boy who succeeded.

“When Zoe admitted to self-harming, I’d check her arms and legs for signs. But I didn’t know how to judge the balance between monitoring her and trusting her. And when she made her first attempt on her life, I felt ill equipped as to what I should do. Even after she was being seen by CAMHS the only help I got was a leaflet. Young people are suffering – more needs to be done to prevent tragedies.”

● Talking can be life-saving – whether it’s with a family member, friend or a confidential helpline like Samaritans. Their volunteers are always there to listen 24/7 and they won’t judge or tell you what to do. Anyone can contact Samaritans for free on 116123, or visit samaritans.org.