Difficulties young people may face
How many young people are affected by mental health difficulties? Mental health difficulties affect approximately 1 in 10 young people. That means on average 3 young people in each classroom might be experiencing difficulties.
The types of difficulties that young people might experience are shown below:
Anxiety
Anxiety is a normal reaction to stressful events. But for some young people the anxiety is so overwhelming that it has a significant impact on their lives.
Check out the page on our main website for more information about how anxiety affects people. You can also find more information from Anxiety UK
Depression
Depression can leave us feeling very low and unable to cope with day-to-day life. It affects the way we think, feel and behave. You can find out more about depression on our main website and from (opens in a new tab) Young Minds
Eating disorders
Eating disorders are characterised by obsessive thoughts about food and body weight. An eating disorder affects many parts of a young person’s life, their physical health, the way they eat, how they look, feel, behave and interact with others. There’s more information about eating disorders elsewhere on this website, and from (opens in a new tab) Beat Eating Disorders
ADHD
ADHD has three core characteristics: impulsivity, hyperactivity and inattention. It can have an effect in all areas of a young person’s life and can make relationships at home and school difficult. You can find out more information about ADHD on this website or by visiting the ADHD in children and young people (NHS.UK)
Self-harm
Self-harm refers to people deliberately hurting their bodies. It’s usually done in secret and on parts of the body that may not be seen by others. Young people may use this behaviour as a way of trying to manage overwhelming emotional distress. Find out more about self-harm on this website or from (Opens in a new tab) YoungMinds
Psychosis
Psychosis is the term used to describe a type of mental health issue that seriously affects the way that a young person thinks or feels. The young person can lose contact with reality and experience hallucinations and delusions. There’s more information on this website as well as at (Opens in a new tab) YoungMinds