Understanding unhappiness

YOUR readers may be surprised to learn that a recent Barnardo’s survey found three quarters of all London schoolchildren say school is one of their biggest causes of stress – higher than anywhere else in the UK.

More than half of children aged 12 to 16 years old in our capital feel sad or anxious at least once a week, and an overwhelming majority – 73 per cent – think it would be helpful if they had a counsellor or another professional at school to talk to when they’re feeling down or upset.

It is deeply worrying that so many young Londoners are growing up feeling this way, with the poll revealing that those feelings intensify as they get older.

The survey also shows that children like to speak to a range of people when they are feeling troubled, calling into question the Government’s Mental Health Green Paper proposal to train just one senior lead in each school about mental health.

As the UK’s leading children’s charity, Barnardo’s provided specialist mental health and wellbeing support to 21,100 children, young people, parents and carers last year, through our services in London and the wider UK.

We strongly believe we need to create a culture where everyone has a greater understanding of what keeps children mentally well and when professional help is needed.

We want parents and carers to be confident in recognising if their children are unhappy and teachers and other professionals to be sufficiently trained, adequately resourced and available to support them. Lynn Gradwell Director, Barnardo’s London