Student Services: Wellbeing

Mental Health and young people

We would like to share some recent research on teen mental health.

One of our Wellbeing Co-ordinators attended an excellent professional development late last year, and we're excited to share a summary of the key takeaways.

Insights from Smiling Mind’s State of Mind Report

In today’s fast-paced world, many parents are feeling the strain of modern life. A recent survey conducted by Smiling Minds of approximately 2,000 parents (representing 2,800 young people) highlighted that:

70% of parents are feeling stressed
61% of parents are feeling anxious
39% of parents are feeling depressed

What’s Causing the Stress?

The main factors contributing to these feelings were:

63% due to financial pressures
36% due to managing challenging behaviours of their children
29% due to concerns about their child’s mental health

Smiling Mind’s ‘Mental Fitness’ Model

To address these concerns, Smiling Mind promotes five key skills for resilience and wellbeing:

Live Mindfully – Stay present and respond effectively.
Embrace Flexible Thinking – Enhance problem-solving and creativity.
Grow Connections – Build strong relationships.
Act Purposefully – Recognize strengths and values.
Recharge Your Body – Support mental and physical health through rest and activity.

Encouragingly, 65% of surveyed parents already practice mental fitness. Research shows that parents who engage in these practices tend to raise children with higher levels of wellbeing—highlighting the importance of starting these habits early.

Understanding the Mental Health Trends

Anecdotal data suggests a nationwide increase in mental health disorders among people aged 16-25. A positive shift that is occurring is that young people are now more open about mental health, reducing stigma and fostering conversations around emotional wellbeing.

However, concerning trends continue to emerge:

The breakdown of ‘the village’—less communal support for parents and children.
Play is being diminished and demonised—fears over safety limit resilience-building experiences.
Parents are busier—balancing work and quality family time is increasingly difficult, and attachment issues are on the rise.
Childhood is becoming overly structured—leaving little room for unstructured fun and exploration.
Technology is displacing real-life interactions—screen time is replacing companionship and physical play.
Resources are limited—accessing support requires time and financial commitment.

The Role of Screen Use

A recent study found that using tablets and phones as ‘pacifiers’ directly affects emotional regulation in children. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, reliance on screens has increased, making it harder for children to engage in independent activities. The illusion of interaction through screens is also impacting play initiation, sustaining friendships, and even language development.

Key Takeaways for Parents

Prioritise self-care – Looking after yourself enables you to better support your children.
Delay device use – The longer screen exposure can be postponed, the better for emotional development.
Spend quality time together – Shared meals and family time strengthen relationships.
Encourage boredom and discomfort – These experiences build resilience and problem-solving skills.
Foster real-life connections – Face-to-face interactions are crucial for emotional growth.

As we navigate the evolving landscape of parenting and mental health, fostering mental fitness in both ourselves and our children is key to long-term wellbeing. By making small, intentional changes, we can create a supportive environment that allows our children to thrive.

Sleep Hygiene. While we know sleep is essential for good health, research shows that many children and young people are not getting enough sleep on school nights. This can affect thinking, concentration, memory, reaction times and mood. Research shows about 12% of primary school-aged children, a quarter of 12- to 15-year-olds and half of 16- to 17-year-olds don’t get enough sleep on school nights. The recommended amount of time to sleep for primary school-aged children is 9 to 11 hours. For teenagers, it’s 8 to 10 hours.

Signs that your child is not getting enough sleep can include:

low mood and irritability during social interactions.
reluctance or arguing about getting off devices and going to bed.
falling asleep during the day.
difficulties waking up for school and sleeping in late on weekends to catch up.
changes to communicating or interacting at home.

You can help your child to improve their sleep by:

establishing a regular sleep pattern and consistent bedtime routine.
supporting them to avoid using electronic devices such as smartphones before going to bed and in bed.
encouraging your child to exercise and spend time outside in daylight, steering clear of vigorous activity in the hour before sleep.
encouraging them to wind down and relax before going to bed.

If your child is still having trouble sleeping, has persistent problems with low mood, excessive daytime sleepiness, restlessness in bed, severe snoring or wakening unrefreshed, despite getting adequate length sleep, they should see a doctor.

Clubs Fair

The Student Wellbeing Team held their Annual Clubs Fair on the 21st of February at Lunchtime. Students had the opportunity to check out what Clubs are on offer in 2025 and to jot down when and where these clubs are running. We’ve attached the Clubs list below for you to go through below!

It was fantastic to see so many enthusiastic students checking out what’s on offer.

Being a member of a club is a great way to make new friends, to learn new skills and is known to be really positive for mental health!