The Happy Confident Company has launched a new campaign accompanied by a petition calling for education authorities to introduce statutory teaching of mental health and wellbeing strategies for the early years around the world.
Everyone needs to back this campaign, and here is why
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 20% of children and adolescents have a mental health condition worldwide. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among 15-29 year-olds. In the UK, in the last three years, mental health problems in young people have increased by 50%.
The statistics are alarming. The Children’s Society reports that in any given classroom of 30 children, five have a mental health problem of some description and degree.
For those who need a little more convincing, teaching our children about mental health awareness makes emotional and financial sense. Did you know that mental health-related conditions currently cost the global economy US$1 trillion annually? Yet, according to the WHO, government expenditure on mental health services is less than 2% of their total annual health expenditure.
It’s never too late to prioritize a child’s mental health
One of the key messages from the WHO and also many charities worldwide is that prevention is better than a cure. Acting today to prioritize children’s and your mental health is imperative. Lead by example.
This campaign matters. Currently, 70% of mental health concerns in children in the UK do not get intervention early enough, which is likely to compound the issues into young adulthood if support and help are not provided.
And remember that evidence shows that milder issues in childhood can quickly snowball into much more severe mental health issues later in life.
The Happy Confident Company has created some beneficial tools and aid to support children. They have recently launched HCMtv, hosted by UK television personality Emma Willis.
The 10-week program, made up of an eight-minute video for each subject, is designed to teach children a new life skill each week and ultimately help them understand and navigate challenges.
Each video is short, succinct, and designed to be both engaging and simple to understand. Additionally, the videos are free and fun and have fascinating neuroscience facts and information for children and adults.
My Mind News will continue to report on this petition and campaign. As of today’s date, 1,732 have signed the petition. But we can do much better than that and owe it to our children to take action now to prevent potential problems from arising in the future.
Sign the ’10 Minutes Matter’ petition today
It took me 15 seconds to complete. Here is the link to the 10 minutes matter petition. If you scroll to the bottom of the page and fill in the four questions. It’s super easy and will definitely be one of the most hopeful and rewarding things I have done today.
And remember – although the petition takes just seconds to complete, its impact on children could potentially last for many years.
