I was

alarmed to read that more than one in ten primary school boys is now labelled with a mental disorder, according to NHs research. The rise in mental health problems in the young is complex, but I believe family breakdown is a major contributing factor. It’s not politically correct to say this, but divorce is closely related to a rise in mental illness and behavioural problems in children. The instability that follows divorce — dysfunctional relationships, new partners, and shifting family dynamics — compounds the upheaval. Children have an amazing capacity to cope with all sorts of things, provided that the adult care givers in their lives remain constant and consistent. It’s that easy. Yet so many parents struggle to provide this one thing. so enshrined is the belief that everyone has the right to do whatever they want in the pursuit of their own happiness, no one dares to stand up for the children. and then we wonder why they show signs of emotional distress.