voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
voluntary organisations, social enterprises and volunteering
NSPCC - Children's Mental Health Survey Findings
Created: 22/02/2024The NSPCC has published the results of a survey on child mental health conducted with 2,016 parents across the UK. The survey has revealed that 3 in 4 UK parents with children under five are anxious about their child’s emotional and mental wellbeing.
The survey shows top parenting concerns across the UK include issues such as mental health, bullying and social media use.
The issue that parents of children and babies aged five and under were most likely to be concerned about was their child’s emotional wellbeing and/or mental health, with 75% saying it was a worry. Parents with very young children are eager for information about infant mental health and support with early childhood development which is why it is so important that free, expert advice is available online.
The survey also revealed:
We know that being a parent isn’t easy. Most parents (57%) said that parenting is harder now than when they were children. Many parents say they don’t always know where to go for expert support, with half (53%) relying on advice from family members and two in five (41%) relying on friends.
That’s why NSPCC want all parents to know that everyone has options, and they're always there when it comes to help keep children safe and healthy on the phone and online. In the last year, contacts to the Helpline from adults with concerns about children’s mental health increased by a fifth. Between April 2023 and December 2023, the Helpline dealt with 2,499 child welfare contacts about child mental and emotional health. This is a 21% increase compared to the same time frame in 2022.
Everyone has a role to play to look after each other and keep children safe. From members of the community supporting families in their area, to local services and the Government offering crucial support for new parents. NSPCC's newly launched campaign and refreshed advice for parents is designed to help with many of the everyday challenges they face when raising children.