Event

Reversing the decline in children’s mental health

This event hosted by UK think tank Pro Bono Economics will explore the potential long-term impacts of the rising mental health challenges for the UK economy.

The deterioration of the mental health of the UK’s children and young people is one of the most urgent issues facing our society today.

More than one in five children and young people in England aged eight to 16 had a probable mental disorder in 2023, compared to around one in eight in 2017. This is putting ever-increasing pressure on public services, with more than a quarter of a million children and young people on the waiting list for NHS mental health services and schools battling to play a role they weren’t designed to fulfil. And in every classroom and in thousands of homes, children are spending their formative years unhappy and unwell

In this major event, Pro Bono Economics will bring together policymakers, charities, school leaders, commissioners, funders, and health professionals. The session will explore the potential long-term impacts of these rising mental health challenges for the UK economy, whether we can afford to tackle them and whether we can afford not to.

Hear from our panel of experts discussing the role of treatment versus prevention, the much-debated drivers behind the decline in mental health, and the scale of change that is needed to ensure the reverse of these worrying trends.

Speakers

Catherine Roche – Chief Executive, Places2Be

Cathy Newman – Journalist and Ambassador for Young Minds

Jon Franklin – Chief Economist, Pro Bono Economics

Saqib Chaudhri – Principal, Oasis Academy Shirley Park