Alarmingly,the research concluded elevated mental health concerns were double pre-pandemic estimates and increasing over time. We know young people were already under immense mental health distress before the pandemic began and now,as we stretch into the third year of our COVID-19 existence,we see their psychological welfare almost visibly unravelling.
Young people are designed to be active,social beings – separating from their families,bonding with their peers and exploring the world. Nature calls them to take risks,gather with others their own age and embrace life. Living should be full of firsts for young people and the chance to stake claims to new independence with travel,jobs and friendships.
Simply,everything they are intended to do at the most human of levels is exactly everything which is denied during a pandemic with work closures,cancelled milestones,isolation and the ongoing dread of uncertainty – even as restrictions lift – a perfect recipe for a crisis in youth mental health.
Clinical psychologists,and all our colleagues working in mental health,are today bracing for ever-increasing rates of mental illness among young people.
Fast-tracked services delivering care almost immediately can be implemented through existing accessible and low-cost services,such as headspace and Head to Health. But the care must be high quality,with mental health experts such as clinical psychologists providing leadership to teams of mental health staff including trainees,registrars and registered psychologists.
While funding for mental health is growing,we have yet to address the huge shortfall in training capacity for the next generation of clinical psychologists. Today,the enormous demand for urgent injections into youth mental health services come as an overwhelmed and under-resourced workforce struggles to meet client need and serious issues around access and equity to care are highlighted.