The cost of living crisis is wreaking havoc on our children’s mental health

It is having knock-on effects on mental health and social wellbeing, particularly for the many young people who face the prospect of a cold, hungry and anxious winter

This World Mental Health Day, the attention of political, business and civil society leaders will turn to our psychological wellbeing. In the UK, we face a worrying escalation in mental illness, particularly for young people. The coming months, which will be dominated by the cost of living crisis, are set to make things even worse.

There is a long-standing link between poverty and poor mental health, and never has this felt more relevant than now, with as many as 3.9 million children in the UK currently living in poverty. Research published in the BMJ (formerly the British Medical Journal) shows that as many as 500,000 children will be pushed into absolute poverty over the next year, which will potentially have very serious consequences for their mental health.

As the chair of the Anna Freud Centre, a children’s mental health charity, I am well placed to witness the upsurge in mental illness. The Covid-19 pandemic, which led to the periodic closure of schools, was a significant catalyst to this rise. The number of young people with a mental illness is thought to have increased from approximately one in eight to one in six in the last five years alone.

Just as macro-economic prosperity affects national morale, so too does someone’s economic wellbeing affect their mood. Currently, many people in Britain are struggling to afford even very basic necessities. Food bank charities are reporting a rise in demand. Around 90 per cent of adults have seen an increase in their cost of living, and this is having a substantial knock-on effect on families and children. The cause has been spiralling inflation, which reached 9.9 per cent in August – an almost 40-year high.

Such economic uncertainty is leading to increased stress, anxiety and mental illness. A survey published last month by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy showed that two thirds of therapists cited cost of living concerns as a reason for Britain’s recent mental health decline.

The cost of living crisis is certainly affecting the lives of many adults, but it is also having a detrimental impact on young people. A survey published last week by the Prince’s Trust found that 49 per cent of 16- to 25-year-olds in Britain were worried about not having enough money to buy essentials such as food, toiletries and clothing. The report also found that nearly 60 per cent of respondents felt uncertain about their futures because of the cost of living crisis.

Young people in households where the adults are not in work or face job insecurity are particularly vulnerable to rising prices, and are the most likely to suffer in the coming months. There are also strong regional disparities. The northeast of England has seen the most dramatic rise in child poverty in the past six years, having risen by almost half from 26 to 38 per cent. It has now overtaken London as having the highest child poverty rate (after housing costs) in the UK.

Recently, two of my colleagues from the Anna Freud Centre, Andrea King and Dr Abigail Miranda, highlighted the devastating impact that the denial of essentials such as food and warmth can have on a child’s development. When a child’s physical needs are not met, their ability to learn and develop emotional wellbeing is considerably hindered, and the impact of the cost of living crisis in this respect is already tangible.

Furthermore, a survey produced by The Childhood Trust showed that one third of parents questioned said their under-18s had raised concerns about the cost of living crisis. Of this group, 23 per cent said that this had manifested itself in their children expressing more anger, and 21 per cent said that their children smiled less.

This decline in children’s mental health is putting an enormous strain on not only the NHS, but also teachers. That is why the work done in schools is so important. They are on the frontline of this battle.

Through our work at Anna Freud, we reach over one million children and young people through schools and colleges. Moreover, we lead the National Centre for Family Hubs, which is funded by the Department for Education. It aims to ensure all babies, children and families have the support they need from birth until the age of 24.

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There is a serious challenge with children’s and adolescent mental health. At the same time, it’s vitally important to differentiate between diagnosable mental illness and people who are generally unhappy, so that the most vulnerable children receive the support they deserve. It’s staggering to think that while 1.5 million children and young people need support, only a fifth receive it.

I am concerned that sometimes children mistake moments of sadness, or the natural downs that form part of any life, as mental illness. It is an issue which UCL academic Lucy Foulkes has written about in her book Losing Our Minds: What Mental Illness Really Is – and What It Isn’t, and it is one that is essential to consider in the context of this crisis.

Having faced the challenges presented by the Covid-19 pandemic, many young people’s mental health remains in a precarious state. The cost of living crisis is not just an economic challenge. It also has knock-on effects on mental health and social wellbeing – particularly for the many young people that face the prospect of a cold, hungry and anxious winter.

On World Mental Health Day, we need to think about our young people in the UK, redoubling our efforts – government, charities and the private sector – to support them at this fragile and turbulent time.

Michael Samuel MBE is chair of the Anna Freud Centre