REDDITCH MP Chris Bloore, led a backbench business debate in the House of Commons, calling for urgent action to improve mental health support in educational settings, particularly for children and young people.
Mr Bloore’s intervention follows concerning NHS Digital figures showing that approximately one in five children and young people aged 8 to 25 had a probable mental disorder in 2023.
Additionally, there has been a 65 per cent rise in hospital admissions for mental health concerns among children and young people between 2012 and 2022.
Mr Bloore said: “Protecting mental health at an early age can have a defining impact on lifelong resilience and ensuring positive mental health outcomes.
“At a time when our young people face a barrage of challenges from social media, the COVID-19 pandemic and the ongoing threat specifically to girls and young women from what feels like a never-ending conveyor belt of demeaning and misogynist content.”
During the debate, the MP called for the expansion of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) more anti-bullying programs and more support for child refugees and asylum seekers.
He added: “When it comes to preventative mental health, perhaps overwhelmed with the complexity of the problem, there are scattered initiatives, that are rarely funded properly and often don’t learn from each other. We must create a public mental health infrastructure.
“I urge the government to seize this moment and see if it can create a true net of mental health support across the country, getting those anti-bullying programmes in place, following the evidence, and committing to relentlessly drive down levels of mental ill health – and build mentally healthy communities in our schools and beyond.”
Oliver Chantler, head of policy and public affairs at the Mental Health Foundation, said: “With more than one in five young people struggling with their mental health in recent years, support in places like schools, colleges and universities has never been more important.
“We know that much of the mental distress young people experience is preventable with interventions that are proven to work, such as anti-bullying programmes in schools.
“We need to give young people access to these interventions and equip them with the tools and knowledge to nurture good mental health.”
