The Belfast Telegraph reports, “More than one in ten of Northern Ireland’s schoolchildren are suffering from serious mental health problems including anorexia, bulimia, self-harming tendencies and depression – and teachers cannot cope.”
The Ulster Teachers’ Union says these children “need much more support than they are currently receiving.” All post-primary schools have access to counseling, but this has not yet been extended to the primary sector.
“The UK’s Mental Health Foundation says around 7% of pre-school children are living with a severe mental health problem and 12% of five to 16-year-olds have problems severe enough to need help.” The Bamford Report estimates 45,000 local children and adolescents have a moderate to severe mental health disorder.
A former teacher says, “These statistics highlight the extent of the problem facing our young people and the need for sustained action by all of us – not just government, but society in general. Children are all our responsibility.”
Original Source: belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/12-of-northern-ireland-pupils-have-mental-health-issues-14139273.html