Young people and health

The Children and Young People's Mental Health Coalition has published Overlooked and Forgotten. The report reviewed 145 Joint Strategic Needs Assessments (JSNAs) and 142 Joint Health and Wellbeing Strategies (JHWS) and found that:

  • 67 percent of JSNAs do not measure levels of children and young people's mental health needs locally;
  • 33 percent of JHWSs do not prioritise children and young people's mental health; and
  • Data most commonly used to estimate prevalence of mental health need is almost a decade old.

To download the report visit www.cypmhc.org.uk/resources/overlooked_and_forgotten_full_report.

The Royal College of Nursing has published Adolescence: boundaries and connections: An RCN guide for working with young people, a guide provides information to support nurses and other health care practitioners in their daily practice with young people.

To download the report visit www.rcn.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/178971/003256.pdf.

UK Youth conducting a national survey of youth workers to complement other existing research on mental health. The survey aims to determine:

  • The frequency with which youth workers deal with issues relating to mental health and emotional wellbeing;
  • The perceived causes of the problems;
  • What the gaps are in the abilities of youth workers to help with young people’s mental health issues; and
  • What resources / training they feel would be beneficial.

To take part in the survey visit www.surveymonkey.com/s/MXTPGBY.

Clic Sargent has published a report on the impact that a cancer diagnosis and treatment can have on young people’s confidence, which can be a barrier to education, employment and training. Key points include that:

  • 67 percent were worried about the impact cancer would have on their education and 74 percent were concerned about the impact it would have on future employment;
  • 54 percent were not fully confident about preparing for job interviews and 61 percent were concerned about how they should disclose the fact they had cancer on an application form; and
  • 30 percent of young people in employment did not know what adjustments they were entitled to at work and 24 percent disagreed their employer had made necessary adjustments for them.

To download the report visit  www.clicsargent.org.uk/sites/files/clicsargent/13092a_No_young_person_with_cancer_left_out.pdf.

The Carers Trust has published a report on young adult carers at school, looking at their experiences and perceptions of caring and education. Key findings include that:

  • Two thirds of young adults still at school were providing a high or very high level of care;
  • 38 percent reported having a mental health problem;
  • 42 percent said there was not a particular person at school who recognised them as a carer and helped them;
  • 46 percent thought they had received good careers advice but only 19 percent of the total sample thought that it took their caring role into account; and
  • 78 percent considered they were doing well at school but only 48 percent actually said they enjoyed school.

To download the full report visit www.carers.org/sites/default/files/young_adult_carers_at_school-8_11_13-1_proof_4_final.pdf.

Public Health England has published Substance Misuse among Young People in England, 2012-2013. The report shows that:

  • The number of under-18s seeing specialist substance misuse services fell to 20,032 in 2012 to 2013 from a peak of 24,053 in 2008 to 2009;
  • 13,581 under-18s presented to specialist services with cannabis as their primary substance in 2012 to 2013, up from 13,200 in 2011 to 2012; and
  • Alcohol was the primary problem substance in 4,704 cases in 2012 to 2013, down from 5,884 in 2011 to 2012.

For further information and to download the full statistical data visit www.gov.uk/government/news/number-of-young-people-in-specialist-substance-misuse-services-falls-again.

The Association for Young People's Health has also published a research update on Adolescent Substance Use, which covers a selection of some of the more notable and important research studies to emerge over the last couple of years.

To download the update visit www.ayph.org.uk/publications/516_RU15%20Adolescent%20substance%20use%20summary.pdf.

The association has also published a briefing on Social Determinants of Young People's Health available at www.ayph.org.uk/publications/518_Social%20determinants%20of%20young%20people%27s%20health.pdf.