Figures lay bare toll of pandemic on UK children's mental health

Investigation finds rises in school safeguarding reports, eating disorder treatment and sleeping pill prescriptions

• Parents struggle to get help for mentally ill children during pandemic

The children’s commissioner for England and leading psychiatrists have raised the alarm about young people’s mental health during the pandemic, as figures suggest a sharp rise in reports of sleep problems, eating disorders and self-harm.

A Guardian investigation into the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on children reveals:

Prescriptions for sleeping pills for under-18s rose 30% to 186,000 between March and June 2020 compared with two years ago, freedom of information figures show. They fell for adults during this time.

One of the largest private eating disorder services reported a 71% rise in admissions in September compared with the same period a year ago.

A charity that offers counselling said reports of safeguarding issues were up 77%among a small sample of secondary schoolchildren, in particular self-harm.

Parents have voiced anguish at long waits for children’s services, with one mother considering moving her child abroad for help.

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from Children | The Guardian https://ift.tt/2HdUwS6