As a counsellor in Wellington both privately and for Wellington Community Counselling I see children and young people every week, most sharing a similar narrative when asked how the last three years has fared on them. 

The youth of our community along with the rest of the country have experienced an increase in mental health concerns significantly since 2020 and the timing of it cannot be ignored. The COVID-19 pandemic has intensified the struggles of children and young people who were already suffering, or it has been the catalyst for the development of mental health conditions that were not already present.

The sudden changes brought about including school closures, loss of social interactions and routines and increased levels of stress and uncertainty have taken a toll on their mental well-being. 

Increased isolation has meant a rise in online presence including social media and video games, contributing to our youth’s lack of desire and in some cases inability to socially interact in other ways. Many are suffering from social anxiety because of this, along with a huge growth in health related anxiety and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, a response to increased anxiety levels and used as an attempt to regain control of which so much was lost during the pandemic.

Socioeconomic factors such as the interruption of education during that time, the rising cost of living and a lack of access to support services, have further exacerbated the impact of this. 

Waiting times for mental health services through GP’s have become extensive with the current waiting time for Talking Therapies on the NHS roughly twelve months. 

Recent figures show a significant rise in children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition. In 2022, the NHS reported that this is the case for one in six children between the ages of seven and sixteen, up from one in nine in 2017. 

Half of today’s diagnosed conditions are established by the age of fourteen and it is believed that as many as 80,000 young people are affected by today by depression.

There are also higher rates of self-harm and suicide than previously seen; according to the Office for National Statistics the number of suicides among young people aged fifteen to nineteen increased by a third between 2020 and 2021, from 147 to 198.

The recent rise in mental health concerns among children and young people in our community is a matter that needs our immediate attention. Ensuring that they have support networks around them, access to the necessary services and that they know how to ask for help if they need it is an important start if we are to make headway in this crisis. 

Wellington Community Counselling has recently received extra funding for the next three years to help those who are struggling in all areas of mental health and of all ages. This enables us to play a huge role in delivering an immeasurably valuable local service and steer towards a better future for everyone in our community.