Mental health: Children should be more resilient, say experts

One in five children and young people between the ages of eight and 25 in England are thought to have a mental health disorder.

Many GPs, youth workers and social workers say mental health cases in the young are rising in ever greater numbers.

But some experts in the field of mental health have raised another question: is there really a crisis or are young people simply not resilient enough? The word resilience could be interpreted by some as disparaging or toxic.

More than 600,000 young people aged 15 to 25 in England were prescribed anti-depressants in 2023-24 .

Social media also plays a part, but social media usage alone cannot "wholly explain" why mental health problems have become widespread.

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that the digital world has led to a "great rewiring of childhood".

Emotional resilience isn't just about the individual coping by themselves, but about the backing they receive from friends, family and community.

Mr Jones argues young people should be offered greater access to activities that connect them with their community and build friendships.

He also says there needs to be non-clinical support for issues such as housing and employment as well as more personalised therapies.