Technology traps UK teens in mental health crisis – can it save them?

LONDON (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – For British teachers struggling with a mental health crisis in the clbadroom, directing a suicide watch or transporting psychotic students to the hospital can increasingly be the subject of a day's work .

The staff of three London schools recalled a call from almost lost students: the girl who swallowed pills, another on skipping a balcony and the countless teenagers who needed help to curb their self-inflicted bleeding.

"Some kids deliberately tried to get out in the morning and we had to pull them out," said a school staff member with 12 years of experience.

"The child hears voices, says that he does not want to live, that he can not concentrate in the lesson, that he snuggles crying. So, at that point, we say, "Well, you have to go to the hospital because you need help." "

In interviews with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, overcrowded school staff said they met nine-year-old students who committed suicide at Google, who worried about their body image, and who had received photos. unsolicited penis.

Mental disorders are becoming one of the major challenges for global health in the 21st century. The number of patients is expected to reach $ 16 trillion by 2030, according to medical journal The Lancet.

The government is committed to doing better because some children wait two years before receiving help, as demand rises as services decline.

But with new initiatives – some at school, others digital – professionals said they were now treating more children, reaching out to more minorities and, most importantly, taking them all earlier.

L & # 39; SELF-HARM

Self-inflicted injuries tripled to 20% among women aged 16 to 24 in England – usually by cut or overdose – between 2000 and 2014, the Lancet Psychiatry newspaper announced last month.

"The sooner you come in, the better," said Lynne Green, a psychologist who has been working with children for 20 years.

"Once the belief systems are established, it becomes really difficult to reverse them. The longer they sit for a long time, they become almost a part of themselves, a part of who I am, and individuals feel that it is impossible to change. "

Starting in September, schools in 25 frontier regions will have teams from the National Health Service (NHS) to help students with minor mental health issues and guide those in urgent need.

The government also funds Kooth, an online service providing information and advice to 70,000 children a year, while phone applications such as BlueIce and TalkLife support young people in the privacy of their homes.

Childhood changes quickly.

This generation is the first to grow with smartphones and to reconcile increased academic pressures with global concerns about climate change as well as daily concern with friends or integration.

The data is particularly revealing for girls.

According to official data, nearly one in four girls aged 17 to 19 in England, aged 17 to 19, suffers from anxiety, depressive or manic disorders, and most of them are sick. between them tried to commit suicide or mutilated themselves.

"We are seeing increased levels of depression or low mood, anxiety and stress problems," said Green, clinical director of XenZone, who runs the Kooth website.

"It was quite unusual for people under 11 to have more complex mental health issues. But I see a lot more of this now, especially regarding things like eating disorders and self harm. "

FRIENDS

The NHS offers free conversation therapies to more than one million adults suffering from depression and anxiety each year. He now offers a similar treatment to students at school, rather than in clinics.

This eliminates stigma and increases the level of parental consent, said Becky Maharaj, an NHS employee working in London schools. She said that nearly 80% of her patients are from ethnic minorities.

Maharaj helps perfectionist girls develop social skills by putting their work aside and chatting online with real friends.

"There is a correlation between the level of social anxiety observed and isolation," said Maharaj, as all forms of communication move more and more online. "It's very unnatural.

"While in real life, they can just make mistakes and say nonsense … rather than this constructed reality."

Jane was so worried about making mistakes at school that she was constantly studying, banging her head against the tears in the office and often refusing to come in. On other days, her mother led her to the door for the staff to escort her crying.

"I did not really want to talk about that, but once you start, you really can not stop," said the 13-year-old, who has since struggled with her worst fears and survived a detention. Is handed over to basketball and now spends more time talking to his mother.

"You have that weight removed from your shoulders … before I sleep a lot. Now, I am more energetic. And I feel that I am just a different person. "

The NHS aims to reach one in four schools by 2023 – a target that health professionals say is lacking in ambition.

REVOLUTIONARY

This is the technology that offers the most revolutionary promise.

TalkLife is the world's most popular app for young people who talk about mental health. It has more than one million users, most of whom have never asked for help, said Jennifer Russell, director of operations.

"The strength of the social bond and bringing people together when they struggle is the most protective factor that exists when a person is suicidal," she said.

"You can access a platform like TalkLife and instantly notice that you are not alone."

TalkLife – which garnered $ 1.8 million from investors looking for a social impact – is using artificial intelligence developed with Harvard University to predict whether users are likely to to attempt suicide or to self-destruct in order to intervene.

Online anonymity also attracts teens who are afraid of being made public – Kooth's counselors slowly gained the trust of a drug gang girl and persuaded her to call the police.

NHS psychologist Paul Stallard has developed BlueIce, an application that helps young people manage their need to self-destruct.

"Most of those who self-harm do not receive any help from any service," he said.

In September, Stallard launched a trial, funded in part by the NHS, to monitor the impact of BlueIce and determine if it was reducing the number of children traveling to accident and emergency services.

"If this prevents a single episode of participation in A & E, it represents a considerable saving," he said. "It offers an inexpensive way to reach a lot of people."