Market Analysis Reports

Market Analysis - Child Psychology 2024

According to WHO worldwide 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders. The average age for initiation of maximum psychiatric disorders is between 14 to 20 year. Children with mental disorders face major challenges like stigma, isolation and discrimination, as well as lack of access to health care and education facilities.

An adult do have the capability to identify, understand and seek help for a problem, whereas a child may be confused and upset by what they are feeling and hence they are more vulnerable towards developing a mental disorder. Recently with the help of many organisations who have devoted their work to spread awareness regarding this mental distress children have got some exposure towards these treatments. These organisations help young people to receive the support they need to progress into young adults.

It came to notice that the top concern for young people was family relationships, including conflict in the family and parents’ divorce or separation. Over 12 months, there were over 38,000 counselling sessions for this concern.

Some of the concerns that had affected children and young people included:

Main concerns                                                                                              Number of counselling sessions

Low self-esteem, feeling sad, low or lonely                                                             35,244

Abuse, including sexual, online, physical, emotional and neglect                            29,126

Bullying, face-to-face or online                                                                                 25,736

Self-harm                                                                                                                    19,557

There is also concern about the occupancy levels at mental health inpatient facilities. During 2019-2023 the Care Quality Commission found that 16% of wards visited by their officers were over capacity and half of the wards were nearly full with 90% occupancy. It has been observed that only 65% of the people with psychiatric disorders actually receive the treatment.

With the rising number mental health patients the financial strain on services has also expanded and now its estimated global cost is £1.6 trillion greater than cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease and heart disease on their own.

Mental health services in the UK are overstretched, but still investment in mental health prevention is limited. Currently mental health research is only receiving 5.5% of the total UK health research spending (equating to £115 million) for vulnerable people in UK society.

WHO has adopted a comprehensive mental health action plan 2015-2023 during the 66th World Health Assembly.

The four major objectives of the action plan include:

·         To build up effective leadership and governance for mental health.

·         To make responsive mental health and social care services accessible in community-based settings.

·         To implement strategies for promotion and prevention in mental health.

·         To empower information systems, evidence and research regarding mental health.

Each of the four objectives is accompanied by one or two specific targets, which provide the basis for measurable collective action and achievement by Member States towards global goals.