Mental health and wellbeing

In the last year , has your child experienced any of the following ?

Sample : 5,490 parents in England ( 3,012 ), Scotland ( 1,313 ), Wales ( 862 ) and Northern Ireland ( 303 ) who have at least one child aged 4-18 in school Base : All UK respondents , weighted

More than half of parents told us their child has faced mental health problems in the last year , such as anxiety , bullying or homework-related stress , with children eligible for free school meals , with SEN , in secondary / post-primary school , post-16 education or with a parent disability more likely to struggle than other children .

More than a quarter of children experiencing poor mental health have missed school because of their mental health problems . Addressing this is a big issue for parents who say dealing with the mental health crisis is one of the most important issues facing the education system today . Not enough is being done – 21 % of parents told us their child isn ’ t doing as well academically as a direct result of poor mental health . Children from poorer backgrounds are struggling even more , as three in ten parents with a child eligible for free school meals told us they ’ ve noticed a decline in academic success following poor mental health , as well as more than a third of children with SEN .

28 NATIONALPARENTSURVEY . COM NATIONAL PARENT SURVEY 2024