Child mental health crisis ‘worse than suspected’

A new report claims an average of three children in a class are diagnosed with a mental illness. [Image: Dave Thompson/PA].

A new report claims an average of three children in a class are diagnosed with a mental illness. [Image: Dave Thompson/PA].

Here are the comments for which Natasha Devon was sacked from her post as the Conservative Government’s mental health champion for schools.

Is this a case of unfair dismissal?

The crisis in children’s mental health is far worse than most people suspect and we are in danger of “medicalising childhood” by focussing on symptoms rather than causes, the government’s mental health champion for schools has warned.

Natasha Devon, who has been working in schools for almost a decade delivering mental health and wellbeing classes, said an average of three children in a class were diagnosed with a mental illness, but many more slipped under the radar.

Devon, who founded the Self-Esteem Team, was appointed by the government to look into young people’s mental health and find out what a good school support system looks like. However, she said the government was asking the wrong question.

“The question we should be asking ourselves is what are the emotional and mental health needs of all children and are they being met in our schools?” she said.

Source: Child mental health crisis ‘worse than suspected’ | Society | The Guardian

Join the Vox Political Facebook page.

If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!

Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(
but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:

Donate Button with Credit Cards

Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.

Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:

HWG PrintHWG eBook

The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:

SWAHTprint SWAHTeBook

3 thoughts on “Child mental health crisis ‘worse than suspected’

  1. robert fillies

    This Government doesn’t like it if the experts it appoints do not come back with the answers it wants.

Comments are closed.