Bringing together the voices of children's mental health

Alarmingly, however, 75% of children and young people who experience a mental health problem aren’t getting the help they need.

Children’s emotional well-being is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health helps them develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include:

• being in good physical health, eating a balanced diet, and getting regular exercise
• having time and freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
• being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
• going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
• taking part in local activities.

Other factors are also important, including feeling loved, trusted, understood, and safe. Optimistic children, resilient, have some control over their lives, and feel like they belong are more likely to have good mental well-being.

Most children grow up mentally healthy, but surveys suggest that more children and young people have problems with their mental health today than 30 years ago.