LAST week was Children’s Mental Health Week, which shines a light on the importance of mental health in young people and encourages family and friends to intervene early if we suspect there is a problem. 

Tackling mental health problems has come a long way in the past couple of decades and we rightly no longer tell children to simply shrug off whatever is bothering them. 

Our first instinct now is to understand why a child may be acting differently or finding life difficult.

 Just as social attitudes have changed, so too has national healthcare policy, with mental health now on a par with physical health and this is the case with children as well as adults. 

A young person under 16 is actually more likely to face a problem with their mental health than experience a serious illness, injury or disability. 

For many children who were struggling before the pandemic, the disruption and uncertainties of the past three years has made things worse. 

One in six children and young people are now estimated to have a diagnosable mental health problem and many more are affected by issues such as bullying and bereavement. 

I have spoken to teachers about mental health, including bullying, during visits to local schools, and I have spent time with local mental health charities that do such vital work in Central Devon. 

I would particularly encourage any parents of local young people with anxiety, depression and who self-harm to contact the Youth Mental Health Foundation (www.youthmentalhealthfoundation.org), based in Ashburton. 

Proper funding for mental health services is vital and when I served as a treasury minister I helped to deliver the largest ever cash increase for our NHS in 2018 - an extra £20 billion in real terms each year by 2023-24, including an additional £2.3 billion a year for mental health services. 

This extra funding has helped more people than ever receive treatment for mental health conditions, including children. 

For example, an additional £79 million is increasing the number of mental health support teams in schools, an extra £31 million is helping to prevent children and young people with a learning disability or autism from escalating into crisis and an additional £7 million is providing training and support for staff dealing with children and young people experiencing trauma, anxiety, or grief.

We shall need to go further still and £150 million is being invested in NHS mental health crisis response services up to April 2025. 

This includes £7 million for specialised mental health ambulances, which will be more effective in providing the tailored support someone in crisis will need. 

If you or someone you know needs mental health advice, our urgent local NHS mental health helpline is available 24/7 on 0808 196 8708. An NHS professional will speak to you and provide access to further support if needed. 

For non-urgent mental health support please contact your local GP.

More from Mel at www.melstridemp.com. More about Children’s Mental Health Week 2023 at www.childrensmentalhealthweek.org.uk