How Can We Help Young People With Mental Health Issues?

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Lucy: Is it clear what could be the best way to help young people with their mental well being, or provide support for those who are struggling. She says there's fairly basic stuff which could be promoted in terms of validating young people's distress wherever it falls on the spectrum. But yet, unfortunately, a lot of it comes down to money. Lucy: The thing that might be most useful is probably going to be expensive, in terms of listening to ten ages as well.

Many teenagers will receive their GCSE results today. These exams can have a significant impact on what they do next, so it can be a stressful time for students, their teachers and parents. Over the past decade, reported mental health problems among teenagers have been on the rise. A recent survey by the NHS statistics agency found rates of probable mental disorders in six- to 16-year-olds reached one in six in 2021. Madeleine Finlay speaks to the academic psychologist Dr Lucy Foulkes about what could be behind this crisis, how schools are trying to tackle it, and how we can help teenagers with their mental wellbeing. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/sciencepod