The key issues around health and wellbeing for children and young people in Scotland
In 2019, the Mental Health Foundation commissioned a report titled ‘State of a generation: Preventing mental health problems in children and young people'. Despite the report being published before the onset of COVID-19, the issues outlined in this report, e.g., poverty, body image, sleep, technology, academic pressure, and issues related to identity, remain relevant to children and young people’s lives today. These issues are explored in more detail in this response.
Childhood and young adulthood are particularly important for development, wellbeing, and mental health. Some research suggests that around half of mental health problems develop by the mid-teens, with three-quarters established by the mid-twenties.