According to one report, mental disorders increase among young people

A new report showed that one-fifth of all girls aged 17 to 19 and one-tenth of boys in the same age group in England were suicidal or trying to harm themselves.

This report comes after a 13-year study that is one of the most important. Several issues, including social media abuse, sexual violence and the pressure to look good and happy, were raised in the poll, which experts say is worrying.

The report was generated by NatCen Social Research, the Office for National Statistics and Youth in Mind. A total of 9,711 participants were scanned during this study.

This latest study is sponsored by the government and also found that mental health disorders are on the rise. Even among young children aged 2 to 4, the prevalence of mental health disorders is 5.5%. This is the first study to have collected data on children in such a young age group. The report published by the NHS Digital revealed that one in eight children aged 11 to 19 years suffered from some form of mental illness in 2017.

The last survey on mental health was conducted in 2004 with children aged 5 to 15 years. The prevalence among these children has been found to have increased from 10.1% in 2004 to 11.2% in 2017. This slight increase was surprising given the large number of girls who tried to self-destruct or to suicide. It was found that 21.5% of girls aged 17 to 19 had attempted suicide or attempted to self-kill.

Girls of this age had a high prevalence (23.9%) of mental health disorders, according to the report. Most cases were anxiety and depression, the study says. Similarly, boys in this age group had a prevalence of 9.7% who were trying to commit suicide or were trying to self-destruct.

According to Emma Thomas, executive director of the Young Minds association, several factors could contribute to these "disturbing" figures. "The pressure to succeed in school, college or university, difficulty finding a job or finding a new job and moving to a new region help to explain the anxiety. spread among them. " Social media was used to compare to others and the number of "likes" or "comments" often determined popularity.

Jemima Olchawski, Executive Director of Agenda, which advocates for girls and women at risk of mental health issues, said that it was impossible to blame the doors of body image and social media. She blamed sexual influences, pressure and sexual violence on adolescent girls and young women.

Sue Rogers, Service Manager at Action for Children, said the problems kids and toddlers could give when they had a problem were problems with sleep, behavior, excessive crying, and difficulty in getting to sleep. feed. Professor Tamsin Ford, a co-author of the University of Exeter study, who is dedicated to the psychiatry of children and adolescents, did not admit that the excessive use of gadgets and phones was at the origin of these figures.

Dr. Michael Bloomfield, a psychiatrist at University College London, said in a statement: "Adolescence is a crucial time for the development of a person, especially when our brain is suffering from a certain condition. important changes during our adolescence. Since prevention is better than cure, it is really important that we, all members of society, understand together why and how they are beginning to reduce rates of mental disorders among young people. "

Some highlights of the report;

• The rates of mental disorders were –
  • One in 18 among 2 to 4 years
  • One in 10 among 5 to 10 years
  • One in 7 among 11 to 16 years old
  • One in six of 17 to 19 year olds
• The prevalence was higher among boys aged 2 to 10 years. The prevalence was similar among 11- to 16-year-olds and increased among girls aged 17-19 (23.9% for girls versus 10.3% for boys).
• The highest rate of mental disorders was observed among young people from East of England (15.6%) and the lowest rate in London (9%)
• The prevalence was 15% in British white children and the lowest of 5.2% in children of Asian / British origin of Asian origin.
• A quarter of participants identified themselves as non-heterosexual. Of these, 35% had a mental health disorder. Of the three-quarters of heterosexual participants, 13.2% had a mental health disorder.
• It was noted that 31.8% of children and youth whose parents received disability benefits had a mental health disorder.

Only some of the affected children are receiving attention, according to an analysis of the NHS figures conducted by the 2017-18 Child Commissioner, which shows that 325,000 children were treated through community-based services. and 5,000 were treated in hospitals. That's less than 3% of the population says the report. The figures also reveal that one third of the youth who were referred to the services were refused. The main reason for refusal could be that these people could be treated through charities and social protection systems.

According to the Commissioner, only around £ 700 million is spent on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and support for eating disorders, which is insufficient. In addition, adult mental health disorders receive 15 times more funds. It is interesting to note that children represent 20% of the population. The commission has asked for an additional £ 1.7 billion to combat the mental health problems of children and adolescents.

According to Claire Murdoch, NHS England's National Clinical Director of Mental Health, the government should put in place new measures to protect youth mental health and improve awareness and services. She said, "Anyone working with children and youth, whether in the public, private or voluntary sector, must play their part if we are to protect the mental well-being of young people."