NHS: Lockdowns linked to soaring Mental Disorder in Teens and Kids

New data via the NHS indicates that up to one-quarter of those aged 17-19 have now been left with some sort of “probable mental disorder,” confirming the consequences from the pandemic lockdowns.

According to the data released on Tuesday, 25.7 per cent of teens aged 17-19 have what is deemed a probable mental disorder, up from only 17.4 per cent in 2021, and only 10.1 per cent in 2017.

Things were not a whole lot better for those aged 7-16, with 18 per cent being deemed to have a probably mental disorder, an increase of just under 6 per cent on the previous year.

When young adults are examined, with nearly one-third of young women aged 17-24 having some sort of probable mental health issue, compared to just over one in ten men.

The release notes that 38.6 per cent of children aged 11-16 are worried about what effect school closures during lockdown will have on their schoolwork, with 43.5 per cent worried about the effect they could have on exams.

The impact of the mental health crisis is something not to be understated, with the NHS reporting that 28.3 per cent of 7 to 16-year-olds and 68.6 per cent of 17 to 24-year-olds report to have attempted self-harm.

Image by krustovin august from Pixabay

Full data report:

The Mental Health of Children and Young People in England 2022 report, published today by NHS Digital, showed that among 17 to 19 year olds, the proportion with a probable mental disorder1increased from 17.4% in 2021 to 25.7% in 2022.

This report explores the mental health of children and young people in England in 2022 and how this has changed from 2017, 2020 and 20212. Views and experiences of family life, education, household circumstances, services and employment are examined.

In 2017, 10.1% of 17 to 19 years olds had a probable mental disorder – the rate increased to 17.7% in 2020 but remained stable between 2020 and 2021, when it was 17.4%.

Among 7 to 16 year olds, the proportion with a probable mental disorder was 18.0% in 2022 – up from 12.1% in 2017 but a similar rate to 2020 when it was 16.7% and 2021 when it was 17.8%.

In 2022, among those aged 7 to 10, prevalence of a probable mental disorder was nearly twice as high in boys (19.7%) as in girls (10.5%). Rates of a probable mental disorder were similar in boys (18.8%) and girls (22.0%) aged 11 to 16. Among 17 to 24 year olds, the prevalence was much higher in young women (31.2%) than young men (13.3%).

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *