Latest news with #youthwellbeing
Irish Times
a day ago
- Health
- Irish Times
Almost 50% of children and teenagers struggling with ‘feeling low'
There has been a large increase in the proportion of children in the Republic who report feeling low at least every week, according to fresh research. A report published on Tuesday found that almost half of children and teenagers (46.3 per cent) reported 'feeling low' on at least a weekly basis in 2022, up from 23 per cent in 1998. Girls were more likely to report feeling low than boys: 57.6 per cent compared with 35.2 per cent. The Irish Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) survey monitored the health behaviours and outcomes of young people every four years between 1998 and 2022. Those surveyed ranged in age from 10 to 17. READ MORE The report found a decrease in the proportion of young people happy with life at present (down from 88.1 per cent to 78.5 per cent) and in those reporting a high level of life satisfaction (down from 76 per cent to 61.6 per cent). The latest report also found an increase in the number of children and teens feeling pressured by school work (up from 32.9 per cent to 47.8 per cent), and increases in the number of children who reported experiencing headaches (up from 26 per cent to 38.2 per cent) and sleep disturbances (30.9 per cent up to 46.3 per cent). There was a small increase in the proportion of those who reported going to school or bed hungry because there was not enough food at home: up from 16.6 per cent in 2002 to 18.3 per cent in 2022. Prof Colette Kelly, who co-led the research at the University of Galway , said the number of those reporting feeling low is 'definitely worrying'. The survey doesn't ask children why they feel low, noted Prof Kelly, but she said young people are consuming information about war, climate change and the cost-of-living crisis. They are also dealing with the long-term impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, she added. There was a small increase in the proportion of those who reported being bullied at school once or more in the past couple of months: up from 24.6 per cent in 1998 to 28.6 per cent in 2022. The number of girls who reported being bullied increased from 19.6 per cent to 29.5 per cent during the same period, while the number of boys who reported being bullied decreased slightly from 29.2 per cent to 27.7 per cent. The proportions of young people smoking, drinking and using cannabis have reduced significantly in recent years. The number of children who reported ever being 'really drunk' decreased from 33 per cent in 1998 to 17.8 per cent in 2022. There was also a moderate reduction in the proportion of children and teenagers who reported cannabis use in the last 12 months: down from 12.3 per cent in 1998 to 6.5 per cent in 2022. The research also found that smoking rates reduced from 22.6 per cent to 4.7 per cent in the same period. Minister of State for Public Health Jennifer Murnane O'Connor was not present at the launch but spoke via a pre-recorded video message. 'The good news is that we are seeing a significant long-term decline in the use of tobacco, alcohol and cannabis in young people. Compared to 1998, today's young people are less likely to smoke, drink regularly or experiment with drugs,' said Ms Murnane O'Connor. The junior minister added that the report highlights ongoing challenges, particularly in mental health and social inequality. 'Many adolescents continue to report pressure at school, bullying, sleep difficulties, and going to bed hungry. While substance use is declining, disparities remain, particularly for students from disadvantaged backgrounds or marginalised communities,' she said. 'We need to support equality and ensure that no young person is left behind.'
The Independent
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Lewis Hamilton urges UK education reform: ‘Something needs to change'
Lewis Hamilton has urged the UK government to implement educational reform after new data highlighted the concerns of young students and those from a vulnerable background. Seven-time F1 world champion Hamilton, 40, has previously spoken of being racially abused at school and admitted he felt as though he 'didn't belong or matter' as a student. Hamilton's foundation, Mission 44, last year launched a Nothing Happens in Isolation campaign, with a focus on the high rates of suspensions and exclusions in schools across the country Now, a new survey has highlighted the issues young people face. Among the most glaring statistics, 41% of young people say their school/college has not shown concern for their worries or wellbeing – a number that rises to 64% for those with a disability. Hamilton said: 'I remember the challenges I faced at school. I didn't feel like my voice was heard, or that anyone wanted to look into the reasons why I was struggling so much. 'If they had, then perhaps my experience at school would have been very different. Instead, I was made to feel like I didn't belong and that I didn't matter. 'Today young people across the country, especially the most vulnerable students, are saying they feel the same way, and they need something to change. 'We need to listen and do all we can to ensure their experiences lead to the feeling of inclusion.' Other data shows that 34% of parents believe their child's learning needs or preferences are not being met, while three in four young people want a greater say in shaping what and how they learn. In addition, 43% of students say they have skipped school due to stress, anxiety or tiredness. Mission 44 CEO Jason Arthur added: 'Rising rates of absence, misbehaviour, suspensions and exclusions are symptoms of a deeper lack of inclusion - many of which disproportionately impact our most vulnerable students. 'Our new research now shows it's the same students who are least likely to feel they belong or be listened to in the system. That makes this not just an education issue, but a matter of social justice. 'Through our Nothing Happens in Isolation campaign, we're calling for urgent, joined-up action to address the real drivers of these issues: unmet needs, mental health challenges, discrimination, and poverty. 'Unfortunately, there is no one silver bullet for this, but it must include listening to student voice and equipping schools with the tools they need to create inclusive environments for all. 'Our campaign is not about blaming teachers. We're calling for systemic change so that every child can thrive and achieve in the classroom. 'We need a framework that outlines what good school inclusion is, a mechanism to hear young people's experiences of school and what they need, a teaching workforce that reflects the communities they serve and more personalised support for vulnerable students.' Mission 44 was launched by Ferrari driver Hamilton in 2021, with the aim of building a more inclusive future for young people in motorsport and beyond.
Forbes
27-05-2025
- Health
- Forbes
How Ohana Is Revolutionizing Mental Health By Helping Parents And Kids Build Resilience
A first-of-its-kind program, Ohana was created by nationally renowned youth mental health leaders, ... More and is staffed by experienced and compassionate mental health professionals. What if we thought about mental health the way we think about physical fitness? Not just as the absence of illness, but as a proactive, daily practice—a skillset that can be cultivated. Dr. Susan Swick is leading this charge with Ohana, a groundbreaking initiative in Monterey County, California, aimed at revolutionizing youth mental health through prevention, early intervention, and community education. Backed by a $105.8 million philanthropic gift from Bertie Bialek Elliot, Ohana isn't just another mental health center. It's a movement built on the principle that resilience can be developed, that early childhood experiences shape lifelong mental well-being, and that parents play a pivotal role in fostering mental fitness. The name 'Ohana'—Hawaiian for 'family'—emphasizes the interconnectedness of support systems, reinforcing the idea that no one navigates mental health alone. In fact, Elliot made naming the center 'Ohana' the only condition of her transformative gift. As she explained: 'Young people who are facing emotional and mental challenges, they can't do it alone. Families can't do it alone. Even the wonderful staff can't do it alone. It takes a community — and that's why I suggested 'Ohana.' And I'm so happy and proud to be part of this bigger effort.' Bertie's vision for Ohana is rooted in prevention: 'If you can help young people early, rather than waiting to rescue them later, how great is that?' The Crisis We Can't Ignore The statistics are sobering: Yet, in a world prioritizing academic success and digital connectivity, foundational mental health skills remain overlooked. Ohana reframes resilience as an essential life skill—one that should be taught as widely as swimming or dental hygiene. Building Mental Fitness: A Paradigm Shift Dr. Swick's approach challenges conventional thinking on adversity and overprotection. "Kids need to face age-appropriate challenges to build resilience," she explains. "Boredom, frustration, and even small failures help develop coping mechanisms that prepare us for the big challenges that are a part of every life. When we shield our children instead of supporting them, we deny them the chance to grow." The Ohana model offers parents and educators free tools, both online and in person, to guide children through challenges, fostering grit and emotional agility rather than stepping in to rescue them. The Critical Window: Early Childhood Attunement One of Dr. Swick's most transformative insights is the impact of early parent-child interactions, particularly in the first three months of life. "Parent-infant attunement during this window is more predictive of adolescent mental health outcomes than even later trauma," she notes. "This is the critical foundation upon which resilience is built." By equipping new parents with research-backed strategies for fostering healthy attachment, Ohana aims to set children up for success before challenges arise. Dr. Susan Swick Resilience: The Science Behind Strength Research supports the notion that some adversity is necessary for psychological development. Resilience follows a U-shaped curve—too little hardship hinders growth, but too much can be overwhelming. According to Dr. Swick, the key lies in perception: Teaching children these skills early may hold the key to reversing the rising tide of youth mental illness. Ohana Campus Scaling Mental Fitness for a Wider Impact Ohana's vision extends beyond Monterey County. Dr. Swick envisions a scalable curriculum for parents—one that can be adopted by communities, schools, and organizations worldwide."We need to think of mental health education as an essential skill for all parents, like CPR, but even more widely applicable," she says. Potential pathways include an open-source platform, partnerships with mental health organizations, and widespread distribution of evidence-based parenting tools. A Call to Action: Bending the Curve on Mental Illness With youth mental health issues escalating, the opportunity to "bend the curve" through early intervention and resilience-building is more critical than ever. Dr. Swick and her team are on a mission to transform how we approach mental fitness. The question now is: how do we scale this impact? How do we ensure every parent has access to the knowledge that could change the trajectory of their child's life? Interested partners should reach out to them because the time to act is now. Because in the end, mental health isn't just about responding to crises—it's about preventing them. And that starts with building resilience, one child at a time.
Independent Singapore
27-05-2025
- Business
- Independent Singapore
New white paper warns of the cost of inaction on youth mental health across APAC
SINGAPORE: There's a growing cost—both personal and economic—of not addressing young people's mental well-being across Asia-Pacific (APAC), according to a new white paper by the Z Zurich Foundation. The report warned that mental health issues left untreated early in life affect education, work, and relationships later in life. Notably, nearly half of all mental health issues start by age 14. Meanwhile, suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among those aged 15 to 29 in several countries across the region. With over 750 million young people aged 15 to 24 in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific, the report said the need for action was urgent. Despite this, mental health receives merely 1% of health budgets in many parts of the region, with even less funding going to mental well-being promotion. It explained that promotion initiatives aim to create supportive environments where young people can have emotional literacy and positive coping mechanisms. At the same time, prevention focuses on spotting and mitigating risk factors of mental health conditions, especially among the most vulnerable. 'All actors play a crucial role in scaling youth mental wellbeing initiatives and bridging the funding gaps,' it stated. It called on donors, policymakers, and community groups to invest in mental health prevention and promotion for young people across Asia-Pacific. It stated that urgent investment is needed in public-private collaborations, schools that integrate mental wellbeing with learning, and community-based support systems. It added that a future where young people's mental well-being is supported would require immediate action and long-term commitment, including prevention policies, sustainable funding, a trained workforce, and governance that is open to the youth's voices from diverse cultural backgrounds. It also stressed the need for a mindset shift to view youth mental health as key to societal resilience and economic growth. Gregory Renand, Head of the Z Zurich Foundation, said, 'The time for fragmented solutions is over. We must align across sectors, scale proven approaches, build collaborations and invest in systems that put young people at the centre. The future of the APAC region depends on it. Together, we can create environments where young people not only survive but thrive.' See also Morning brief: Coronavirus update for August 5, 2020 The white paper builds on effective examples across the region as it aims to guide public and private organisations, institutions, policymakers, and civil society on how to best support youth mental wellbeing. Some promising initiatives mentioned include youth-led platforms, sports initiatives, emotional education programmes, and blended financing models, which combine the strengths of different sectors to create lasting change. /TISG Read also: Singapore youth turn to AI chatbots for mental health needs as they find it 'far cheaper than therapy' Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
The 1 Thing That Child Therapists Say Harms Kids' Happiness The Most
Children and adolescents in the U.S. today reap the benefits of decades of medical and psychological research. We are able to diagnose and effectively treat mental health conditions to a degree that wasn't possible only a generation ago, with a wider arsenal of pharmacological options and increasingly targeted and sophisticated non-invasive therapies. The quality of kids' mental health should be trending up — but the opposite is happening. Kids today are struggling more than ever. The pandemic dealt a significant blow to everyone's emotional health, and reduced our support networks to Zoom squares on a screen. But the writing was on the wall before March 2020: Kids' emotional well-being was already on the decline. In 2020, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Data Summary & Trends Report, summarizing a decade's worth of data. It found that the number of high schoolers reporting 'such persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the past year that they couldn't participate in their regular activities' rose 40% between 2009 and 2019, and the number who had considered suicide rose 36%. In 2021, Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an advisory regarding youth mental health. The pandemic, he wrote, 'exacerbated the unprecedented stresses young people already faced.' The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey data, from 2021, show that suffering only increasing. The percentage of high schoolers who considered suicide rose again, from 18.8% in 2019 to 22.2%, and the percentage who attempted suicide rose from 8.9% to 10.2% in that two-year period. What's behind these startling numbers? For one thing, there is the ubiquity of social media, permeating every aspect of kids' lives. Data indicates a correlation between social media use and mental health concerns, especially for teen girls. There is also our unrelenting grind culture, pressuring kids at earlier ages to achieve and succeed at every undertaking so they can, in theory, eventually climb the ladder to wealth and a life free from worry. It sounds counterintuitive, but when HuffPost asked child psychologists about the biggest threats to kids' happiness today, they all mentioned parents' relentless pursuit of their kids' happiness — and how it can be counterproductive to their children's well-being in the long term. First, in presuming that kids are supposed to be happy all the time, we sometimes deprive them of opportunities to learn to cope with the full spectrum of human emotions in healthy ways. Second, in focusing so hard on our kids' achievements and praising their success, we run the risk of them not knowing that we love and value them unconditionally. Here are some ways you can avoid these pitfalls, and help lay the foundation for your kids' emotional health and their capacity to experience deeper and more meaningful happiness. It's easy to take an idealized view of childhood as a carefree chapter of life, but we do our kids a disservice when we assume their days are worry-free. 'Many [adults] may think that kids are just happy and have nothing to worry about,' Ariana Hoet, pediatric psychologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio and executive clinical director of On Our Sleeves, told HuffPost. 'Unfortunately, that is not true — children feel strong emotions and difficult stressors just like adults do.' Instead of making kids feel like they should be happy all the time, we should focus on helping them recognize and cope with all the different feelings they may experience. 'As adults, we must check in, normalize emotions, and find ways to build positive mental health habits in children just like we do for their physical health,' Hoet said. Jennifer Cruz, a child psychologist at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia University Irving Medical Center, explained to HuffPost: 'Shielding children from stress and tough emotions may keep them from developing resilience and make future challenges tougher.' 'Expect that your child will absolutely have a range of emotions in a happy life,' Cruz said. We can also teach children that even negative emotions have value. 'Fear can help protect us, anger helps us know we are being hurt, sadness can connect us to what is important,' Cruz said. She recommended that parents emphasize 'preparing [kids] to handle challenges and know[ing] when to ask for help,' rather than 'shielding children from risk or tough emotions.' It's hard to watch your child hurting, and the instinct to make their pain go away is strong. But it's important that we learn to sit with them and their tough emotions. 'I think parents often interfere with their children's happiness because they cannot let their children fail and/or tolerate disappointment,' psychotherapist Jen Hartstein told HuffPost. 'Children learn so much through failure and gain a sense of accomplishment and efficacy when they are able to pick themselves up and succeed,' Hartstein said. 'That sense of accomplishment cannot be minimized.' One way to stay abreast of your child's emotional experience is through daily conversations. These might happen at the dinner table, at bedtime or while you're in the car. Checking in with your child allows you to help them recognize their feelings and find ways to cope with them. Hoet explained that a healthy parent-child relationship is an important 'protective factor' that acts as a buffer to life's stress. Daily conversations or check-ins 'allow parents to create a healthy connection and relationship with their children, while also giving them insight into how a child is thinking and feeling about their day-to-day experiences,' she said. Rather than thinking about how to make kids feel happy, Hartstein said, 'I like to think of it as what habits can we build in children to help promote their mental health. These habits can build happiness, but they can also serve as buffers when difficult life circumstances happen.' Another path to happiness is to help kids tune in to all the good in their lives. 'By focusing on appreciation,' Cruz said, 'parents can also help their children develop a mindset that encourages happiness.' A good way to do this is through modeling. When you have those daily check-ins with your child, take a moment to mention the things that you yourself are grateful for. 'We can get stuck wanting our situation to be different, and our children see that,' Cruz said. 'When we as parents practice our own gratitude, that can go a long way to help children develop an appreciation for what they have and who they are.' Jennifer Wallace is a journalist and author of the forthcoming book 'Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic ― And What We Can Do About It.' From a survey she conducted on the topic, and an extensive series of interviews with kids, families, teachers and psychologists, Wallace concluded that 'too many kids today perceive their value and worth to be contingent on their achievements — their GPAs, the number of likes they get on a post — not for who they are as people, deep at their core,' she told HuffPost. While no parent intends for their child to feel unloved, it can be an unintended consequence of focusing on their success. Wallace recommended that parents use these four questions, from psychologist Tina Payne Brison, to help determine what kinds of messages they are sending to their kids: How do you spend your money as it relates to your kids? What does your child's calendar look like? What do you ask your children about? What do you argue with your children about? 'Many parents think they're not overemphasizing achievement, but when they look at these four things, they can see how their behavior is telling their kids a different story,' Wallace said. You may love your teen unconditionally ― but if their calendar is packed with expensive tutoring sessions and you're constantly nagging about homework, the message you're sending is that you value academic achievement more. Another way we signal to our kids that we value their achievements over their innate worth is by comparing them to others, whether siblings or peers at school. Comparisons are ubiquitous, and effectively amplified by social media. Not only do kids know their friends' GPAs, they've also seen the entire contents of their bedroom closets. 'Comparisons about what we have, what we don't, how we are vs. how others are... it seems we can't get away from them, and our children are picking up on that too,' Hartstein said. It takes a conscious effort to move away from comparisons and toward a gratitude practice like the one mentioned above. But such a move can shift mindsets, and lead to more happiness in your home. 'There is not one parent I've ever met in my research or in my personal life that didn't fully, unconditionally love their child,' Wallace said. 'But it's how our words and our actions land on our children' that can give kids the sense that their parents' love is dependent on their achievements. When we praise our kids' achievements and their success, it can sometimes have the opposite of its intended effect. 'One of the young students I interviewed said that praise made him feel like he had to continually perform in order to get [his parents'] acceptance,' Wallace said. Instead of focusing on kids' achievements, we can make comments that let them know we see their intrinsic worth. In her own home, Wallace said, she wants her kids to know 'they are valued for who they are at their core. So I try, at every turn that I can to, to emphasize what I see as their natural strengths... their empathy, their humor, their kindness, the fact that they're great problem solvers.' On birthdays, for example, the family has a tradition of going around the table and each saying something positive (and non-achievement oriented) about the person whose birthday it is. She also highlights the positive things that teachers say about her kids in report card comments, such as them being helpful to others. This puts the emphasis on her kids' personal strengths, not the grade they earned. Wallace determined that it's a sense of mattering that helps well-adjusted kids stay psychologically healthy and experience happiness. The idea of mattering comes from sociologist Morris Rosenberg, who also popularized the concept of self-esteem. Quite simply, Rosenberg found that 'kids who enjoyed a healthy level of self-esteem felt like they mattered to their parents, they felt they were important and significant.' Subsequent studies of mattering identified it as a fundamental human need and a basic driver of our behavior. Wallace defines 'mattering' as 'the idea of feeling valued by family, friends and community, and being depended on to add meaningful value back to families, friends and communities.' In her interviews with kids, Wallace found that those who were doing well shared this sense of mattering, and that it 'acted like a protective shield' against stress and setbacks. One way to help kids feel that they matter in your family is to give them chores. If family dinner is an important ritual, then the person who sets the table has an important role. Others are counting on them. Volunteer work can have the same effect. Creating a sense of mattering goes beyond loving our kids unconditionally, Wallace said. It's 'showing them in words and actions how valued they are.' If you or someone you know needs help, call or text 988 or chat for mental health support. Additionally, you can find local mental health and crisis resources at Outside of the U.S., please visit the International Association for Suicide Prevention. You're Trying To Give Your Kids An Amazing Childhood. How Much Will They Remember? I Thought I Was Being An Incredible, Encouraging Parent By Doing This. Boy, Was I Wrong. 21 Things Parents Swore They'd Never Do (And Totally Did Anyway)
