Contents
4|
Support services
8
Acronyms
9
Section 7: How the pandemic affected children’s mental health
and wellbeing
55
55
61
63
77
78
80
82
85
Foreword by the National Children’s Commissioner
11
Executive summary
12
Recommendations
15
Section 1: Introduction
17
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
Section 2: About the surveys
19
Section 8: Supporting children’s mental health
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
19
19
20
23
8.1
8.2
8.3
8.4
8.5
8.6
8.7
8.8
Timing of surveys
Focus of the surveys
Methodology
Limitations of this research
Section 3: Demographic profile
25
3.1
3.2
3.3
3.4
3.5
3.6
3.7
25
26
27
27
28
30
Gender
Who children live with
Parenting roles
Age of children
Location
Diversity of children, and parents/guardians and grandparents
Surveys completed by parents/guardians and grandparents on
behalf of their children
31
Section 4: What mental health and wellbeing means to children
33
Section 5: Children’s mental health and wellbeing over the
past two years
39
5.1 Did the pandemic have a negative impact on children?
5.2 Children’s worries or concerns throughout the pandemic
39
43
Section 6: Children’s current mental health and wellbeing
47
6.1
6.2
6.3
6.4
47
48
50
52
How do children usually feel now?
How has children’s mental health and wellbeing changed?
How often do children feel down, scared, or worried?
What specific mental health issues are affecting children?
Lack of social connectedness
Physical health and wellbeing
Education
Social development
Safety at home
News and information
Digital technology and social media
Economic impacts
The role of families in supporting children’s mental health
What helps children stay happy and hopeful
Experiences of getting help and support
Who would children go to for help should they need it?
Children’s preferred mode of receiving formal support services
Did children need extra support?
Mental health and wellbeing support in schools
Seeking help when feeling unsafe in the home
89
89
91
94
100
101
103
104
108
Section 9: Looking to the future
111
9.1 Children’s hopes for the future
9.2 Children’s worries for the future
9.3 How to better support children’s mental health and wellbeing
111
116
122
Section 10: Conclusion
129
Appendices
130
Appendix 1: Literature review
Appendix 2: Demographic profile tables
131
140
‘Mental health shapes my life’: COVID-19 & kids’ wellbeing • 2022 | 5