More than one million pupils to be given mental health support to tackle pandemic impact

NHS England boss says there is an ‘urgent necessity to expand services’

(Getty Images)

More than a million pupils will be given access to mental health support as part of efforts to tackle the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The NHS is expanding services in light of the disruption caused by Covid-19 and lockdowns.

From this year, teams of experts are offering support to children experiencing anxiety and depression in a bid to prevent problems escalating into serious mental health issues that continue into adulthood.

NHS England said enough teams are already set up and ready to support around 15 per cent of students in England at 3,000 schools and colleges, with more teams in the works.

By 2023, nearly 3 million pupils – or 35 per cent of England’s student population – are expected to have access to an NHS mental health support team at school.

NHS England said the “dramatic acceleration” of the scheme is funded by the £79m allocated to children’s mental health services in England from a £500m package for mental health services unveiled last year as part of the Covid recovery plans.

Sir Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, said it was an “urgent necessity to expand services” in light of the pandemic, which “will have been for many a year of turmoil”.

“Coronavirus has taken its toll on us all, not least children who have been stuck at home unable to see their friends and without the routine of school life,” he said.

As well as facing coronavirus restrictions over the past year in everyday life, such as socialising, most children stopped going into school during the lockdowns last spring and at the start of this year.

When all children were allowed back on site in March, after most had spent two months at home, schools were warned to look out for serious mental health problems among pupils.

Amanda Spielman, the chief inspector at Ofsted, said pupils have faced “boredom, loneliness, misery and anxiety” and there had been a rise in issues such as self-harm and eating disorders.

Experts involved in child mental health previously told The Independent there had been an increase in anxiety during both lockdowns, as well as on the return to school.

Data has also painted a picture of young people experiencing more mental health problems during the pandemic compared to before.

Statistics published by NHS Digital last October showed a 50 per cent rise in mental health disorders among young people compared to the year before.

Earlier NHS data showed a greater proportion of 5- to 16-year-olds were identified with mental health problems last July compared to in 2017. 

“Children have had their normal routines turned upside down during the pandemic whether it be curbs on their social life, school or their hobbies, and so it is only right that the NHS accelerates its mental health support for young people,” Claire Murdoch, NHS England’s mental health director, said.

“As children have returned to the classroom, dedicated NHS mental health support teams will be in place at 3,000 schools across the country ready to listen to any anxieties they may have and I would urge everyone whether you’re a teacher, parent or child to access this help before any issues escalate.”

Referrals to the mental health support teams – which offer children one-to-one and group therapy sessions, as well as training sessions for parents and workshops for school staff – can be made by teachers or GPs.

Experts in the teams will offer children one-to-one and group therapy sessions, as well as providing training sessions for parents and workshops for teachers on mental health.

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The pandemic has increased some young people’s needs just as it has slowed the limited progress that has been made on this important issue.

“There is an even greater sense of urgency for additional resources to support the mental health and wellbeing of pupils.”

Meanwhile, Imran Hussain from Action for Children, a charity, said: “What the government does now will shape these children’s lives and the future pressures on the NHS. If they get this wrong, the consequences could be disastrous.”

Additional reporting by Press Association