Terrible mental toll Covid is taking on our children
CHILDREN’S mental health has been “devastated” by the Covid crisis with almost 200,000 referred to specialists in two months.
The toll which the past 18 months of virus restrictions has taken is laid bare in a report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCP).
It showed 190,271 young people up to the age of 18 were passed to mental health services between April and June this year – double the pre-pandemic levels.
Meanwhile, 8,522 need emergency crisis care, a rate two-thirds higher than before coronavirus hit.
The testimony of a mother whose daughter relapsed into anorexia also brings home the extent of the struggle for individuals and their families.
And last night the psychiatrists demanded new Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi intervenes to make children’s mental health needs a top priority.
Dr Elaine Lockhart, the RCP’s chairwoman of the child and adolescent faculty, said: “These alarming figures reflect what I and many other frontline psychiatrists are seeing in our clinics on a daily basis.
“The pandemic has had a devastating effect on the nation’s mental health, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that children and young people are suffering terribly.
“Early intervention is key to recovery. Schools have a critical role to play in this and the Education Secretary must do all that he can to prioritise pupils’ mental health.
“Children’s mental health services must be properly funded and staffed if we are to treat the ever-growing number needing mental health care. Without investment we run the risk of many more needing crisis help.”
Mr Zahawi said: “Too often children’s voices are missing from
national debates about their wellbeing. But they must be heard – and I am listening.”
The 190,271 figure, gleaned from analysis of official NHS data from April to June, is a jump of 134 per cent on the same period last year.
Devastating
The 8,552 children and young people referred for urgent care during the same period was up 80 per cent on 2020.
Some 340,694 youngsters were in contact with mental health services at the end of June, up a quarter on the same month last year. A mother, whose teenage daughter has anorexia, said: “The pandemic has been devastating for my daughter and our family.
“She was discharged from an inpatient unit last year, but the disruption to normal routines and socialising affected her recovery.
“She was spending a lot less time doing the things she enjoys and a lot more time alone. She relapsed, becoming so unwell she was admitted to hospital and sectioned.
“After 72 days in hospital with no specialist eating disorder bed available, we brought her home where I had to tube feed her for 10 weeks. My daughter urgently needed specialist help for this life-threatening illness, but services are overwhelmed because so many young people need help.
“It’s a terrifying situation for patients and families to be in.”
While more children are being treated for eating disorders, there is also an unprecedented number waiting for treatment.
Experts fear the pre-existing mental health epidemic will take years to address. Overall, 1.46 million people had reached out for help by the end of June. Daily Express columnist Karol Sikora said: “Whatever your views on the necessity of restrictions, children have suffered enormously – mainly for a virus they are largely unaffected by. Charities report children self-harming is more common, with suicidal thoughts occurring more regularly. It is devastating.” A Government spokesperson said: “We know the past year has brought additional challenges for young people, which is why we’ve prioritised getting them back into the classroom and made their mental health and wellbeing a central part of our response.” The Government said a further 166 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid as of yesterday, bringing the UK total to 135,621.
As of 9am yesterday there had been a further 34,460 lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK.