As parents and educators, we are constantly reminded about children’s and young people’s struggles with mental health.  The Resolution Foundation’s latest report, entitled, ‘We’ve only just begun’, is an attempt to update the research on the connection between mental health conditions and outcomes for young people. 

And, in many ways its findings are shocking.  Over one third of young people reported suffering from a common mental health disorder, up from a quarter in 20 years. And, sadly universities are showing a bigger jump, with 37% of students reporting similar symptoms.  These are worrying statistics and should be considered carefully.

While the report does not attempt to outline causation, it does look at a range of remedies from increasing funding for mental health support to suggesting ‘Mental Health-Aware’ managers across a range of sectors.  However, a better question is to ask why are our young people suffering like never before?

With any complex societal change there will no doubt be numerous, deep-rooted, shifts which have brought us to where we are today.  No doubt a significant proportion of mental health disorder will be chemical induced imbalances, but an equally large, and perhaps growing element, is likely to be linked to upbringing and education.

People are often quick to blame mobile phones, and certainly an increase in screen time doesn’t help.  I would, however, encourage people to look at this point differently, for every hour a child spends scrolling tiktok it is an hour they are not outside playing with friends.  For every binged mini-series on Netflix, it is a day lost when they could have been exploring the world.  These examples of experiential learning are what give children character.

As parents we always want the best for our children and to keep them safe.  But what if the protective shield we erect around our children is actually what prevents them from thriving in the big wide world?  In much the same way as seedlings need to be moved outside to strengthen their roots and stem, children also need gentle strengthening.   And with strength comes resilience, and with resilience comes the believe that tomorrow might just be a better day.

David Paton is Head of Radnor House.