MKCF - Vital Signs Digital brochure FINAL - Flipbook - Page 28
Vital Signs - Health and Wellbeing
Young people and mental health
High numbers of young people are reporting
that they are experiencing mental health
challenges, particularly anxiety. There are
gaps in the provision of services which are
often 昀椀lled by the community and voluntary
sector and long waiting lists for treatments
provided by the NHS.
The lead for MK Mental Health Leads Network,
Liz Nightingale identi昀椀ed that sources of
anxiety may include parental stress around
cost-of-living, trauma, domestic violence,
and bereavement. Social media, which
targets young people around body image,
can increase anxiety, reduce con昀椀dence,
and lower self-esteem, making young people
more vulnerable to abusive relationships,
trolling, and bullying.
A survey by OxWell in 2023 focused
on state secondary school age pupils
(ages 11 – 16) in Milton Keynes and
found that 25% are skipping meals
due to weight concerns.
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25% of pupils said they had a mental health
problem in the last 12 months and 38% spend
more than four hours a day on social media
networking sites.
Physical activity is known to support good
mental health, over half those aged 11-16 are
not active for the recommended 60 minutes
plus a day. The rate is lowest, at 43%, among
children living in the most disadvantaged
communities of Milton Keynes.
