The mental and emotional health experienced by children and young people affects their mental and emotional health in adulthood and later life.
Good mental health and emotional well-being helps them in their development and transition into healthy and happy adults. However, children and young people are often vulnerable to poor mental health.
Key statistics about children and young people's mental health
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A mental health problem affects as many as 1 in 10 children aged 5-16 at any one time
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Self-harm affects as many as 1 in 15 young people aged 11-25 at any one time
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Mental illness in children and young people increases presenting vulnerable situations, including families where neither parent is working, families on low income, and single-parent families.
The work we do about children and young people
The Mental Health Foundation has carried out a great deal of work on the mental health and emotional well-being of children and young people over the last 10 years. A number of key themes run through our work, including the need for:
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a holistic approach, including preventative action and early intervention
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effective inter-agency working
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children and young people to be involved in the way services are run and developed
Between 2006 and 2007 we published many significant reports, including:
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Listen Up!: a report on person-centred approaches to help young people experiencing mental health and emotional problems.
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Supporting Young People's Mental Health: a policy briefing recommending eight points for action in relation to young people’s support services.
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Truth Hurts: report of the Mental Health Foundation and the Camelot Foundation’s national inquiry into self-harm among young people.
Other significant reports include:
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Turned Upside Down (2001): identifying a gap in service provision for 16-25 year olds
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Bright Futures (1999): examining the factors affecting the mental health and emotional well-being of children and young people.
We want you to have your say on our policy work in relation to this area and other areas of work. By providing your contact details, we will be able to:
- keep you informed of the policy areas we are focusing on
- invite you to offer your opinions and experiences to inform our policy work
- build a database of people who are interested in contributing to the policy-making process.
Complete the 'Have your say' online form
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