Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Student Mental Health

Monday 9 September 2024 · 5 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Alison Bennett raised concerns about the mental health of 15-year-olds in the UK and proposed placing mental health professionals in every school to address the issue.
  • Alison Bennett also mentioned the critical state of teacher mental health and requested a meeting with an Education Minister to discuss support measures.
  • Christopher Vince questioned the Government about preventive measures in social care and education to reduce teenage suicides, referencing a tragic case from his constituency.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Alison Bennett Lib Dem Mid Sussex
Mental Health Children & Families
Context

The Children's Society found that British 15-year-olds are the unhappiest in Europe, and school absences are at record levels due to mental health issues or inadequate special educational needs support.

Question

I am concerned about British 15-year-olds being the unhappiest in Europe, with school absences at record levels often due to poor mental health. Early intervention is key. By putting a mental health professional into every primary and secondary school, could we end the youth mental health crisis?

Answer from Janet Daby

I thank the hon. Member for her question and sincere concern about children's mental health. This Government are committed to improving mental health support for all young people, ensuring that every student has access to specialist mental health provision professionals in their school.

Answered
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Q2 Alison Bennett Lib Dem Mid Sussex
Education Mental Health
Context

The questioner, a former teacher with friends who are current teachers, highlighted that the mental health of teachers after 14 years is at rock bottom.

Question

As I have mentioned before, my background includes being a teacher and having many teaching friends. The mental health of teachers over the past 14 years has reached a critical low point. What steps will be taken to support not just student but also teacher mental health?

Answer from Janet Daby

I thank my hon. Friend for raising the welfare and wellbeing of professionals, especially teachers. I offer him a meeting with an Education Minister to discuss this matter further.

Not addressed: The specific measures to support teacher mental health were not addressed.

How: Offering A Meeting Instead Of Providing Concrete Details

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Q3 Christopher Vince Lab Co-op Harlow
Education Mental Health
Context

A young teenager in Ashfield, aged just 12, committed suicide due to mental health issues.

Question

Hundreds of teenagers take their own lives each year. A recent tragic case was Riley Townsend from my constituency who took his life at age 12 because of mental health problems. What can we do more through social care and education systems to prevent such cases?

Answer from Janet Daby

Student suicide is a serious concern; however, last year's data shows lower rates for higher education students compared to the general population. Sir Louis Appleby oversees a national review of such cases to prevent future occurrences.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific measures in social care and education systems were not detailed.

How: Providing Statistical Context But Not Addressing Preventive Measures

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Q4 Lee Anderson Reform Ashfield
Education Mental Health
Context

Last year, Birmingham saw a 38% rise in CAMHS referrals while the number of young people seen within six months fell sharply.

Question

There was a significant increase in CAMHS referrals last year in Birmingham, yet fewer were seen within six months. Does the Minister agree that more preventive support is needed in schools and better collaboration between education and health services?

Answer from Janet Daby

My hon. Friend is correct; this Government have committed to recruiting 8,500 additional staff for NHS mental health services to reduce delays and ease service pressures. Family hubs are also essential in providing preventive support.

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Q5 Laurence Turner Lab Birmingham Northfield
Education Mental Health
Context

The previous government introduced mental health support teams in schools, and the pandemic has worsened student mental health.

Question

The Conservative Government previously established mental health support teams in schools. Given the ongoing impact of covid-19 on students' mental health, will the Secretary of State commit to continuing these teams?

Answer from Janet Daby

I thank the shadow Minister; as stated earlier, this Government are committed to improving mental health and wellbeing for all young people by providing access to specialist mental health professionals in every school.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific continuation of mental health support teams was not confirmed.

How: Repeating Commitment Without Specifying Continuation

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