‘The Guardian’ reports that the Mental Health Foundation in conjunction with The Institute of Public Health at Cambridge University
will now conduct a monthly poll to estimate how the nation is coping in terms of mental health in the wake of the Covid 19 national lockdown.
The article entitled: ‘Mental health: Monthly poll to monitor how Britons are coping,’ is here.
More than six in ten adults (62%) are listed as feeling ‘anxious’ or ‘worried’ and the authors cite 18-24 year olds and the over 70 age group as at particular risk from possible mental health problems occasioned by the new circumstances; also people living in economically and socially deprived circumstances.
However, once again there is no mention whatsoever of the mental health of children; surely the part of the population MOST vulnerable and LEAST equipped to understand or to cope in what will be a complete disruption to the only way of life that they have ever known.
Helen Clark, Lead Author for the APPG on A Fit and Healthy Childhood commented: ‘In the midst of this appalling crisis, once again, the very particular needs of children do not feature. It is as if children have been completely airbrushed when they must be experiencing the type of distress and confusion that cannot be imagined by an adult population that is at least partially equipped to process the difficult, often confusing messages that they are constantly receiving from Government Ministers, Officials and others. From the outset, the APPG on A Fit and Healthy Childhood has campaigned for a Cabinet Minister for Children and also for the mental health needs of children to be central to any reform of existing (or new) mental health legislation. The present crisis that is enveloping the nation has served to show just how very much such reforms are needed – now more than ever. When will policy-makers speak up for children at this, their greatest time of need?’
I completely agree Helen and that little thought has been given to children in this crisis. Perhaps because children seem to be less physically vulnerable to the virus (overall as a social group and only on what we know so far) they are being ignored? But mental health is entwined with physical health and it is being given very little consideration in relation to children.
Thanks Deb – from Helen C:
I certainly agree with you about mental health. It is not a ‘Cinderella’ consideration and I think that in this APPG we’ve always argued that case very strongly; especially in our three mental health reports.