A recent survey for the charity, the Early Intervention Foundation (EIF), has found that more teachers are seeing anxious pupils and the worsening of existing mental health problems, compared with just one year ago.
Seventy per cent of teachers have seen reduced motivation and engagement among pupils, 66 per cent a worsening of existing mental health problems, and 82 per cent an increase in levels of anxiety and low mood.
The survey found secondary schools and teachers face multiple barriers to better supporting pupils’ mental health – predominantly because of a lack of qualified staff, insufficient help from other professionals and, critically, a lack of time.
Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Deputy Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Councils have worked closely with schools and other partners to provide support to children and young people, but have had to increasingly divert early intervention spending towards more acute services due to overstretched budgets and increasing demand.
“With the annual cost of mental health problems in England estimated to be £119 billion, the Government should use its 10-year strategy to ensure that local services have sufficient funding to meet current, unmet and new demand for support. It should also include funding for preventative mental wellbeing work that can stop the escalation of mental health needs so that more costly NHS treatment is avoided.”