The scale of the problem has increased at a concerning - especially among young people.
The 2023 Mental Health of Children and Young People in England survey found that around 20% of eight-to 16-year-olds had a probable mental health disorder, up from 12.5% in 2017.
Overall, the survey found that one in five people aged eight to 25 living in England had a probable mental health disorder in 2023. The problem is urgent - according to research by the London School of Economics, mental health problems cost the economy around £118 billion a year.
Emotional health can play a crucial role in promoting the foundations of good mental health, by equipping individuals, families and communities with skills and resources to protect their mental health.
Having good emotional health has been associated with improved mental health outcomes. For example, a 2015 study by the Early Intervention Foundation found that the strength of someone’s emotional skills during childhood can be a predictor of their mental health in adult life. Further, a 2014 study found that emotional health in childhood is the most important predictor of adult life satisfaction - a factor that can substantially influence mental health and wellbeing - even more so than intellectual development and family income.
Emotional health is the set of skills and beliefs that shape our thoughts, feelings and behaviours. It is affected throughout our lives by our relationships and our experience of the relationships around us. Good emotional health is being aware of, understanding and managing our whole range of emotions.
There are seven components of emotional health, and while each is important within its own right, it’s how they work together that forms our emotional health. These skills and beliefs impact our quality of life as well as providing us with protective factors if we’re experiencing physical or mental health problems.
In February this year Demos published a report with our support called “Strong Foundations: Why everyone needs good emotional health and how to achieve it” as part of their Prevention in Practice series.
There are seven recommendations for government:
Achieving good emotional health for all through strategic and long-term planning
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The UK government should re-commit to a cross-government mental health and wellbeing plan.
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The UK government should incorporate emotional health into a long-term plan to ensure that all aspects of health are considered in all policies.
Supporting the development of children and young people’s emotional health
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Researchers should aim to build the evidence base around the causal link between emotional health and improved mental health outcomes.
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The Department for Education should develop clear evidence-based guidance for schools and colleges on how to best implement learning about mental health.
Creating emotionally healthy environments and addressing the barriers to achieving good emotional health for all
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The UK government should address the foundational factors that influence people’s emotional and mental health.
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The UK government should consider ways it can better support local government and relevant civil society organisations to develop initiatives and create spaces that enable relationship building and community cohesion.
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The UK government should invest in evidence-based training and programmes on emotional health.
Developing emotional health is an effective way of laying foundations for life and for good mental health and it needs to feature in any new Government’s approach to policy making.
You can read more details in the Demos report or reach out to us at The Centre for Emotional Health by emailing hello@emotionalhealth.org.uk to find out more about emotional health.
Peter Leonard is chief executive of The Centre for Emotional Health
