The “staggering” rise in nervousness amongst kids (NHS referrals for nervousness in kids greater than double pre-Covid ranges, 27 August) deserves a extra refined response than putting in counsellors in each faculty, helpful although that could be in some circumstances, and I say this as a psychological well being skilled – a guide scientific psychologist.

Properly-meaning consciousness campaigns that encourage us to translate each feeling right into a “psychological well being situation” convey the message that kids have a person deficit, whereas obscuring the explanations for his or her misery. And but analysis constantly exhibits that their emotions are comprehensible in context.

Your article mentions pressures from target-driven schooling, on-line bullying, poverty and uncertainty concerning the future. None of this can be resolved by funding further psychological well being professionals, helplines and assist hubs. Certainly, that’s prone to perpetuate the cycle, since these will not be essentially medical issues – they’re social ones.

It’s significantly disappointing to see Labour failing to make these apparent hyperlinks. Do now we have to achieve the purpose the place each little one is on a clinic ready checklist earlier than we take acceptable motion on root causes?
Dr Lucy Johnstone
Bristol

As a scientific psychologist, and like anybody who has contact with younger individuals, I’ve seen that nervousness charges have risen. However it will be important to not pathologise younger individuals extra, solely specializing in growing disaster remedy.

That’s basically paying individuals like me to be an much more costly sticking plaster. I’d argue that quite a lot of what is occurring shouldn’t be a psychological well being disaster, however an empowerment disaster. It doesn’t matter what age they’re, individuals can deal with extremely nerve-racking issues in the event that they know they’ve the assets and the social assist to deal with it.

Younger individuals really feel disempowered; they’re conscious of the stresses and risks on the planet, however don’t really feel they’re being listened to or given the instruments to deal with these stresses. Most don’t want extra of me; they want extra concentrate on neighborhood, enjoyable, assist, connection and engagement far earlier.
Dr Helen Care
Woodstock, Oxfordshire

That British kids and youngsters are struggling considerably better nervousness and unhappiness is deeply troubling. A number of believable causes have been proposed, however I imagine a possible one has been neglected. There’s a modern pattern in ultra-gentle parenting, the place kids are provided excessive ranges of consolation for emotions engendered by each setback. I recognise that my giant haul of grandchildren continues to be a tiny pattern, however the happiest and least anxious of them by far are those that have discovered that not all their unfavourable emotions can be soothed and solved by others. The assist of loving dad and mom is in fact invaluable, however studying resilience is essential too.
Identify and tackle equipped

In 1991, I started working in a big complete faculty in London and instantly felt the influence of the Thatcher/Main years on our pupils. Youngsters lived in poverty and deprivation, with little or no assist from social providers, and this affected their psychological well being. We made virtually the identical variety of calls to A&E for psychological well being causes as we did for playground accidents. Throughout the first couple of years of the Labour authorities from 1997, issues rapidly improved, with extra assist for colleges and households. Sadly, historical past is repeating itself for Keir Starmer now.
Linda Karlsen
Whitstable, Kent