Children bear brunt of cost-of-living crisis

As reported by Children and Young People Now, amid a roundtable discussion hosted by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), therapists express concern over the deepening impact of the cost-of-living crisis on children’s mental health

Panelists also raised concerns that anxiety, stress and uncertainty faced by children dealing with such issues could have a long-term effect on their mental health and well-being.

Jo Holmes, BACP children, young people and families lead, said: “We know that the cost-of-living crisis is having a profoundly damaging impact on the mental health of our nation, and we’re concerned that it’s affecting many children and young people too.

“We’ve heard from our school counsellor members that some children are coming to school hungry and worried about their parent’s financial situations, as their basic needs are not being met. They are also seeing more behavioural issues too as pressures all around are reaching boiling point.”

She added: “The discussions we had at the event, together with emerging data, show that children are facing some extremely complex issues which, if not dealt with via improved investment and policies from the government to bring children out of poverty, will affect them in later life.”

Calls were made for greater investment in mental health support including funded access to counselling in schools.

Gordon Knott, director of Croydon Youth Information and Counselling Service, who attended the event, said: “Without professional well-being support, families and children trying to navigate their way through all the post-Covid issues and the adverse economic situation will continue to be seriously debilitated and fall through the net.

“In the pandemic, we built hospitals in less than a week and housed the homeless overnight. We know what we need to do to protect our communities, so why aren’t we doing it?”

Holmes added: “We know counselling isn’t the magic bullet to end cost-of-living crisis issues, but it does provide a lifeline to those children who are hardest hit. The government needs to wake up and recognise this and provide dedicated mental health support in all our schools as the current situation is dire.

“Funding a paid counsellor in every school, academy, and further education college in England, as well as in early help hub settings based within local communities is absolutely essential. Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland all have government-funded school counselling services – whereas England does not.”

New BACP data has also shown that three in four therapists working with children under the age of 18 reported that children’s mental health has deteriorated compared with last year.

Three out of four also saw an increase in generalised anxiety in the past year, and almost seven in 10 witnessed an increase in self-esteem issues, family issues, and social anxiety.

Three in five therapists also cited an increase in children presenting with depression over the past year.