Improving mental health support for children and young people
After the first COVID-19 lockdown, we spoke to secondary school students across North Somerset about the mental health support available to them through their school. They told us what would help them maintain and improve their mental health:
- "More awareness of mental health for the teachers"
- "More [mental health support] staff are needed"
- "Make it easier to ask for help as it can be hard to make the first steps yourself."
75% of the children and young people we heard from reported that they had experienced mental health issues. When asked who they would be most happy to go to for support, most (77%) said they would prefer to turn to friends and family.
Children and young people also shared the types of support that they would find most beneficial within a school setting. They said that informal sessions, the ability to speak to the same person consistently, and the opportunity to learn coping techniques would all be helpful.
Our research highlighted the gaps in mental health service provision for children and young people. Now, local charity Off The Record and Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust (AWP) are providing support for students via Mental Health Support Teams, which can help students deal with with mild to moderate mental health issues and liaise with external specialist services. As of October 2022, Mental Health Support Teams were in 100 schools across Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire.
Click here to find out if your school has a Mental Health Support Team.
OTR will be working in partnership with service providers and in community spaces across North Somerset to address areas keenly raised in public feedback.
