Children bearing the brunt of terrifying Covid-19 mental health crisis. (PA) Children and young people are “bearing the brunt” of a mental health crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, a royal college has warned. New data shows the number of children and young people referred for mental health help rose by more than a quarter during the pandemic. Royal College of Psychiatrists found that almost 400,000 children and 2.2 million adults sought help for mental health problems during the pandemic, with 1.68 million more mental health sessions delivered over the past year compared with the year before. Analysis of NHS Digital data suggests that while the crisis was affecting people of all ages, the under-18s were suffering most, the college said.
The number of children and teenagers referred for mental health help has risen to almost 400,000 during the pandemic.
Data analysed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists shows that 372,438 under-18s were referred in the last year, a rise of 80,226 – or 28 per cent – on the previous year.
In addition, 600,628 more treatment sessions were given to this age group, up by a fifth from the previous year to 3.58million. And 18,269 under-18s needed urgent or emergency crisis care – including assessments for sectioning.
The college said the rise was the result of ‘disrupted friendships and the uncertainty caused by the pandemic’.
The number of children and teenagers referred for mental health help has risen to almost 400,000 during the pandemic (Stock image)
Children bearing the brunt of terrifying Covid-19 mental health crisis. (PA) Children and young people are “bearing the brunt” of a mental health crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic, a royal college has warned. New data shows the number of children and young people referred for mental health help rose by more than a quarter during the pandemic. Royal College of Psychiatrists found that almost 400,000 children and 2.2 million adults sought help for mental health problems during the pandemic, with 1.68 million more mental health sessions delivered over the past year compared with the year before. Analysis of NHS Digital data suggests that while the crisis was affecting people of all ages, the under-18s were suffering most, the college said.
THE number of children and young people referred for mental health help has risen by more than a quarter as they “bear the brunt” of the coronavirus crisis, a royal college has warned. Data analysed by the Royal College of Psychiatrists shows that almost 400,000 children and 2.2 million adults sought help for mental health problems during the pandemic, with 1.68 million more mental health sessions delivered over the past year compared with the year before. The head of the college is warning that the demand for services is reaching breaking point, with a “very real risk” they will be “overrun by the sheer volume of people needing help”.
The use of the Body Mass Index (BMI) in determining if an individual’s weight is healthy should be scrapped due to concerns it contributes to eating disorders, according to a report by MPs.
The Women and Equalities Committee warned the impact of the pandemic, both on eating disorder sufferers and those at a high risk of developing one, has been “devastating”.
Their inquiry into body image also branded the Government’s obesity strategy “dangerous” for those with negative body image, potentially triggering eating disorders in the people it is designed to help.
The report warns that BMI, used as a health risk indicator in individual patients who are then put on weight loss or weight gain programmes prompted by their score, contributes to issues such as eating disorders and poor mental health.