- More children are suffering from depression and anxiety
than ever before, a new study has shown.
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- A survey of parents found that more than three-quarters
(78%) thought their children were under far greater pressure than they
were when growing up.
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- And 75% said that peer pressure and stresses at school,
such as bullying and exams, had the greatest impact on their child's emotional
health and wellbeing.
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- With added pressure from society over body image, youngsters
were also prone to stress, panic attacks and depression according to a
fifth (17%) of the 400 parents questioned by Norwich Union Healthcare.
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- The Growing Pains survey found that almost a quarter
of parents (24%) said they felt out of touch or distant from their child.
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- Three-quarters (74%) said they worried that lack of communication
in families could be contributing to problems among youngsters.
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- The study also found that 5% of mothers and fathers were
worried their child was at risk of developing an eating disorder because
of the pressures they were under.
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- Other concerns highlighted by the parents, all with children
between the ages of five and 15, were not wanting to go to school (33%),
nervous habits such as nail biting (16%) and unexplained stomach problems
(11%).
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- Dinah Morley, the director of children's mental health
charity YoungMinds, said: "The results of the study clearly show that
mental health problems are rising among adolescents in the UK.
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- "Many young people feel desperately anxious about
how they are going to take their place in the adult world.
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- "As for why this is occurring, we can only point
to a number of contemporary factors which impact on adolescents, undermining
their plans for the future and setting goals which are virtually unattainable."
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- Norwich Union Healthcare and independent health analysis
group Dr Foster have developed an online information guide to children's
health services to help parents worried about their offspring.
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- The survey found that more than half (58%) of parents
admitted they would not know where to go for help.
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- And 55% said they did not think there were enough health
services specifically for children in their area.
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- Seven out of 10 (69%) said that the government should
be investing more in the provision of mental health services for children
and young people.
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- The recently-published national service framework for
children included special emphasis on mental health issues.
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- Dr Doug Wright, the clinical development manager at Norwich
Union Healthcare, said: "It's often the case that while children's
services are available locally, parents don't know where to look for information
and advice on what they can access in their area."
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- SocietyGuardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited
2004 http://society.guardian.co.uk/mentalhealth/story/0,8150,1321041,00.html
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