Counselling referrals for children and young people in Wales have hit record highs for issues such as anxiety, academic worries, and transgender issues, new data shows. The figures from StatsWales released on Wednesday show that numbers are at their highest since 2013, the earliest on record.
The number of children being referred to NHS counselling for anxiety has increased by 30% – from 3,420 referrals in 2019-2020 to 4,452 in 2020-2021. Transgender issues among children have also risen to record highs, with a 70% increase in children referred to counselling.
Additionally, more children than ever before are faced with academic issues, with a 25% increase in 2020-2021 (624 cases). Referrals for children and young people with self-harm issues has risen to their highest level since 2015. It is currently the 10th-most common issue seen among children in counselling in Wales. You can read more about the devastating impact Covid restrictions and school closures have had on children's mental health here.
In response to the data, the Children and Commissioner for Wales, Professor Sally Holland, said: “Counselling will always be needed for some young people for lots of different reasons, but there are preventative steps we can take as a society. This includes helping our schools to develop supportive environments to help prevent anxieties, relationship issues and academic stressors escalating.
“At a national and regional level, I've been pushing for a ‘no wrong door’ approach to mental health and wellbeing. This means that children should be able get the help they need easily, without being bounced between services or told that they've come to the wrong place.”
Among counselling referrals in Wales, concerns relating to anger, behaviour-related, stress, and bullying are all down to their lowest figures ever. The most common issues seen among young people and children in counselling are anxiety, family, self-worth, anger, and stress. You can keep up to date with our education and political coverage from across Wales here by subscribing to our Wales Matters newsletter here.
Janine Thomas, Place2Be's regional clinical lead for the Midlands and Wales, said: “Adolescence is an important time for development and, unfortunately, we are not surprised to see increased anxiety and academic issues, as it reflects what we’ve seen in schools over the past year.
“The pandemic has created a period of prolonged uncertainty, which has been extremely challenging for young people, especially those who were already vulnerable. With school closures and reduced time spent in school, some young people have found it difficult to catch up with their education.
“An embedded mental health support in primary and secondary schools is crucial to support children before their problems grow more complex.”
