Counsellors experience rise in teenagers with depression

A survey of 143 counsellors found that 64 per cent had seen a recent rise in 13- to 18-year-olds seeking counselling for depression and other mental health conditions.

More than four in 10 said family break-ups were a growing issue among young people and nearly a quarter (23 per cent) noticed a rise in cases concerning parents with mental health conditions.

A fifth of the counsellors had also encountered growing pressure on young people caused by social media.

The survey revealed that counsellors stressed the importance of parental support, with 82 per cent of respondents saying criticism from parents has the most impact on a young person’s self esteem.

Sharon Chapman, young people’s counsellor at the charity, said: "Children look to their parents and families to learn how to express their feelings safely."

She said that families must "work out how to tackle difficult or painful feelings and stressful situations together", adding that it is important for parents to "listen without judging", to "boost children’s self-worth and to notice when they do well".

In a separate survey of 1,012 young people aged from 13 to 18, nearly three-quarters said they had felt stressed over the past month, with nearly a third saying they felt stressed all the time.

Asked about people in their life, 41 per cent of young people said they were inspired by a parent, followed by 27 per cent who cited a friend and 26 per cent a teacher.

Chapman said family support is crucial to keep young children from repeatedly suffering stress and emotional problems. "Young people under stress may express their feelings of anger in destructive ways, but unless we tackle the causes rather than focusing on the behaviour we are creating a cycle that may be hard to break," she said.