Children, Young People and Mental Health

One in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a likely mental health problem in 2021 (NHS 2021) and 83% of young people with mental health needs agreed that the Covid-19 pandemic made their mental health worse (Young Minds 2020).The mental health of young people has never been so important. The unpredictability of our society and the continual pressures of grades, social media and existential threats like climate change, mean that poor mental health and mental health problems are widespread.Churches can provide young people with spaces to be heard, welcomed and loved, offering offer young people hope and purpose in life through the gospel. However, with such a huge issue, it can be hard to know where to start.On 24th January 2024 ChurchWorks hosted an online event to address this issue. Starting with the landscape of young people's mental health, we explored the latest findings and developments from the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Children and Young People’s Mental Health after Covid and then heard from a number of our excellent partner and commissioning organisations; Kick, Kintusgi Hope, The Salvation Army and TLG about their resources to support young people.You can catch up on the event here.