Children And Youth Services Cuts A Factor Behind Poor Mental Health Says Charity Boss

Cuts to children and youth services, which the Isle of Wight Council “has not been able to afford”, is one of four main theories behind the declining mental health of young people, an Island charity boss has said.

In a health scrutiny discussion at County Hall yesterday evening, Isle of Wight Youth Trust CEO Jo Dare pointed to recent research from the Youth Futures Foundation on poor mental health among 14 to 24-year-olds in England.

Following council officer presentations on the accessibility and availability of mental health support for the Island’s young people, Cowes Conservative councillor John Nicholson expressed frustration over what he saw as a lack of “prevention” discussion.

“Let’s face it, children’s mental health is the product of society,” he told the chamber.

“You’ve only got to look at other areas – child obesity, low aspirations that we suffer from on the Isle of Wight, high illiteracy, poor employment – all these socioeconomic factors can be addressed, and they should be addressed at a strategic level.

“Have we got a strategic economic plan in this council – no I don’t think we have – not one fit for purpose.

“Have we got a director? This is the sort of level that we should be dealing with these – dealing with the root cause, not accepting that it’s a problem.

“All of you do a fantastic job – it’s really great to hear what you do – but it’s after the horse has bolted.”

Ms Dare said:

“Absolutely we have to get to the root cause of the challenges and the decline in children and young people’s mental health. There’s been recent research by the Young Futures Foundation…undertaken by the University of Manchester and UCL in London.

“They looked at ten different determinants of why there’s been such a decline and over time they’ve come to the decision that there are four that are particularly important.

“The final one (theory) is around reduced children’s and youth services which without making a political point at all, this is a funding point, the local authority has not been able to afford over some period of years.

“The point about youth services is that they gave children and young people an ability to have a trusted adult so that there was always somebody to turn to try and prevent that escalation into poor mental health.”