Delivering subject content through nine life themes
A new report from the Resolution Foundation lays bare the impact of poor mental health on young people, warning of the “scarring effect” it can have on someone’s long-term life chances. It points out that young people are now more likely to experience a common mental disorder than any other age group – a “complete reversal” compared with two decades ago – and says that mental health problems are “blighting” young people’s experience of education and damaging their ability to get into and then flourish in the labour market as adults. There are many drivers of mental ill-health and no one quick fix. People experiencing mental health problems need immediate treatment and support. But any long-term mental health strategy needs to be proactive as well as reactive. Promotion of healthy lifestyles and the prevention of ill health are fundamental principles of public health. We need to make mental health and wellbeing a priority for all, and particularly for our children and young people.
The Resolution Foundation says that the rise in mental health problems among young people “is not just a health crisis; it is limiting their economic options too”. It is particularly concerned about the impact on less well qualified young people. Its report is called We’ve only just begun, and the report’s key findings make for sobering reading:
This report is the culmination of a three-year research programme funded by the Health Foundation, exploring the relationship between the mental health and work outcomes of young people. It is part of their broader Young people’s future health inquiry that aims to answer a key question: what policy change is required if the growing number of young people with mental health problems are to thrive in the world of work today?
The report calls for more investment in mental health support for young people. It notes that in 2023 fewer than half (44%) of children and young people in secondary schools or post-16 settings had access to Mental Health Support Teams (which offer mental health support within educational settings), with the figure especially low (31%) for students in post-16 settings.
It also calls for “meaningful” second chances for young people while they are still in compulsory education, and for improved advice and opportunities when it comes to non-university pathways. And it recommends better management practices and mental health training for employers in sectors such as hospitality that employ large numbers of young people.
We need well-funded support systems, turning the fine words about taking mental health as seriously as we do physical health into something real and accessible. But we need to be proactive as well as reactive. Improving awareness about mental health and wellbeing has to be part of any long-term solution. This is what is distinctive about the LBL approach.
Life-Based Learning (LBL) aims to prepare children and young people for the challenges of modern life, including mental health and wellbeing. LBL offers an approach to looking after our children and young people that not only addresses acute and immediate problems but also puts in place a bold strategy to promote future wellbeing.
LBL advocates teaching children from an early age about their emotions and how to manage them, much improving their chances of growing up happy, comfortable in themselves and emotionally resilient. They also need to have free and regular access to activities that promote good mental health.
Two ideas that underpin Life-Based Learning thinking are participation (that getting involved and doing something is a good thing and is itself beneficial to mental health) and empowerment (developing social and leadership skills by enabling young people themselves to be at the heart of decision-making).
Our blogs regularly highlight the benefits to children’s mental health and wellbeing of regular physical exercise, outdoor and nature-based experiences and participation in activities that involve them in positive change.
Image at the head of this article by WOKANDAPIX from Pixabay.
