Young Minds third survey with young people investigating the mental health impact of the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic shows that many young people with mental health problems are struggling to cope as they return to secondary school, after months of living through the COVID-19 crisis.
The pandemic has put a huge strain on many young people who were already struggling with their mental health, because of traumatic experiences, social isolation, a loss of routine and a breakdown in formal and informal support. The survey highlighted positives for mental health in the initial return to school, such as seeing friends, having a routine, and seeing their teachers. However, many said that the rapid return to academic pressure, after six months away, was having a negative impact.
Young Minds carried out the survey with 2,011 young people with a history of mental health problems between Friday 15th September and Wednesday 30th September, shortly after schools had reopened.
The findings show:
69% of respondents described their mental health as poor now that they are back at school; this has risen from 58% who described their mental health as poor before returning to school.
40% of respondents said that there was no school counsellor available to support students in their school