A survey of children’s mental health has shown that the number of schoolgirls at risk of emotional problems has risen sharply in just five years.
With the last comprehensive national survey of children’s mental health undertaken more than a decade ago, the Royal College of Psychiatrists says there is now an urgent need to conduct another one to gather accurate estimates of mental health problems and plan services accordingly.
A BBC report looked at a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, in which scientists analysed questionnaires completed by 1,600 pupils aged 11-13 in 2009, comparing them with similar surveys conducted five years later.
The report said the scientists were ’surprised’ by a 7% spike in girls reporting emotional issues while boys’ answers remained fairly stable. They found that social, peer and behavioural problems remained relatively constant for boys and girls across the five years.
But the rise in emotional issues reported by girls suggested they faced unique pressures and the researchers said reasons behind this could include a drive to achieve unrealistic body images due to the influence of social media and an increasing sexualisation of young women.
Funding cuts to mental health services might also be to blame, the researchers suggested.
“In a climate of limited resources, it is also possible teachers may focus more on behavioural and conduct issues as these tend to disrupt classrooms,” researcher Dr Helen Sharpe, of University College London, told the BBC.
These pressures can lead to anxiety and stress which, in turn, will impact on these young girls. But hypnotherapy could help in many instances.
The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) is the UK’s largest not-for-profit hypnotherapy organisation with 1800 qualified therapists on its director, spread across the UK.
They are trained to help assess a person’s anxiety and to identify the root of stress or anxiety. This could be a certain situation, a physical issue or a past experience which is causing the anxiety or stress.
The therapist will then work with the client in setting a goal they can strive towards in a life free of the anxiety before using a suitable technique to help reach that goal.
After a few sessions the client will feel more confident and more relaxed in situations that were previously stressful and able to react calmly and clearly.
Hypnotherapy can unlock the client’s potential to break free of negative thought patterns, and to react more positively and more confidently to situations that previously caused anxiety or stress.
Referring to the BBC report, Sarah Brennan, of the charity YoungMinds, said: “This research is shocking further concrete evidence of the serious and worsening state of children and young people’s mental health in this country.”
She said young girls say they feel ‘enormous pressures’ ranging from bullying, the 24/7 online environment and sexual pressures to issues around body image, school stress and family breakdown.
A sympathetic and trained hypnotherapist can offer help in these situations. Simply click here to access the NCH directory and find a therapist near you who can help overcome these issues.
