In the age of rolling news, it is all but impossible for parents to shield their children from alarming world events, a survey conducted earlier this month shows the impact this is having on their wellbeing.
The survey was conducted by YouGov for the Mental Health Foundation using a sample group of 1800 parents with children aged between 5 and 18.
Amongst the things parents said their children were worried about were nuclear war (23%), the Trump presidency (33%) and global warming (32%). A quarter of the parents polled said their children had sought reassurance over issues relating to news stories and 4 in 10 said they felt their children were more anxious. Out of these 13% reported their children were avoiding public transport out of the fear of being involved in a terrorist incident and 8% said they had had nightmares.
(Source: YouGov/The Mental Health Foundation)
The mental health of Britain’s young people and the state of available support services are a cause of growing concern.
Around 1 in 10 children and young people living in the UK have some form of mental health condition, 70% of whom have not received an adequate level of support. Common problems include anxiety, depression and self harm, with causes ranging from traumatic life experiences to the consequences of living in poverty.
(Source: The Mental Health Foundation)
The waiting time for child and adolescent mental health services is six to ten weeks between diagnosis and treatment, 23% referrals made by GPs and other professionals are refused.
Only 0.7% of the NHS budget is spent on mental health services for young people, even though 1 in 4 show some sign of mental ill health. Suicide is currently the most common cause of death for boys aged between 5 and 19 and the second most common for girls in the same age group. It is estimated that 1 in 12 young people gave self -harmed, although the real figure could be higher.
(Source Younger Minds)
Commenting on the findings of the survey for the Mental Health Foundation Dr Camilla Rosen said, ‘we often forget that distressing events can have a significant impact on children’s mental health'.
Adding that parents can help their children cope by showing that it is ‘OK to talk about scary things, hopefully this will give them confidence to talk about things that might be playing on their mind at other times too'.
Tuesday, 30 January 2018
Friday, 26 January 2018
Problem debt is hurting low income households.
Debt, particularly unsecured debt is a cause of growing concern for the public and policymakers alike. A report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) jointly funded by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and the Economic and Social Research Foundation published this week shows the impact of servicing their debts on people who are already struggling to make ends meet.
The report written for the IFS by Andrew Hood, Robert Joyce and David Sturrock builds on work on ‘problem debt' carried out by the Office for National Statistics and the Department of Work and Pensions.
Amongst its key findings are that around half of British households had unsecured debt in 2012/14, with 10% having debts of over £10,000. Low income households are less likely to have unsecured debt, but if they do they are more likely to fall into ‘net debt', where their debts are greater than their assets.
David Sturrock said that although most unsecured debt was held by ‘high income households who look able to manage it', it was though a problem for a ‘significant minority of those on low incomes’ who are spending much if their earnings on debt repayments.
The report found that 12% of people on the lowest incomes have unsecured debt and out of this group 16% are in arrears. On average people on low incomes who are in ‘problem debt spend £457 out of a monthly income of £1012 on repayments.
Responding to the report Helen Barnard, head of analysis at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said, ‘more than one in five people on low incomes have problem debt,’ and that this was ‘putting a huge pressure on household finances'.
She concluded by saying that 2018 looked like being a ‘difficult year' for people on low incomes with ‘rising prices, frozen benefits and a wage squeeze’ all putting pressure on household budgets.
It was time, she said, for the government, lenders and regulators to ‘not only look at increasing access to affordable credit, but also at the financial pressures that can lead families to take on debt to get by'.
The report written for the IFS by Andrew Hood, Robert Joyce and David Sturrock builds on work on ‘problem debt' carried out by the Office for National Statistics and the Department of Work and Pensions.
Amongst its key findings are that around half of British households had unsecured debt in 2012/14, with 10% having debts of over £10,000. Low income households are less likely to have unsecured debt, but if they do they are more likely to fall into ‘net debt', where their debts are greater than their assets.
David Sturrock said that although most unsecured debt was held by ‘high income households who look able to manage it', it was though a problem for a ‘significant minority of those on low incomes’ who are spending much if their earnings on debt repayments.
The report found that 12% of people on the lowest incomes have unsecured debt and out of this group 16% are in arrears. On average people on low incomes who are in ‘problem debt spend £457 out of a monthly income of £1012 on repayments.
Responding to the report Helen Barnard, head of analysis at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation said, ‘more than one in five people on low incomes have problem debt,’ and that this was ‘putting a huge pressure on household finances'.
She concluded by saying that 2018 looked like being a ‘difficult year' for people on low incomes with ‘rising prices, frozen benefits and a wage squeeze’ all putting pressure on household budgets.
It was time, she said, for the government, lenders and regulators to ‘not only look at increasing access to affordable credit, but also at the financial pressures that can lead families to take on debt to get by'.
Thursday, 18 January 2018
Tackling loneliness will take huge social change, not the appointment of a minister.
Tracey Crouch has been named as the UK's first minister for loneliness, speaking to the BBC she said she was ‘proud' to take on the role and would work with charities, business and fellow parliamentarians to tackle the issue.
The creation of a ministerial post with responsibility in this area was one if the recommendations made by the commission on loneliness set up by the MP Jo Cox who was murdered during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
In a statement released by Downing Street Prime Minister Theresa May said that Ms Cox had ‘recognized the scale of loneliness across the country and dedicated herself to doing all she could help those affected.’
Tracey Crouch told the BBC that she would ‘honour’ the memory of Jo Cox by working to develop a government strategy for tackling an issue about which she had been ‘passionate’.
As part of this strategy it is understood the ONS will be tasked with developing a means of measuring loneliness. There are also plans to set up a fund to support community based events tackling loneliness and social isolation.
Loneliness has been recognized as a growing social problem in the UK, particularly amongst older people, 17% of who responded to a survey said they saw friends of family less than once a week. It has also been linked to health conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
(source: The Campaign Against Loneliness)
Quoted in the New York Times Mark Robinson of Age UK said that the health impact of loneliness was equivalent to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.
The appointment of a ‘ministerial lead' to oversee the issue was welcomed by MPs Rachel Reeves and Seema Kennedy, joint chairs of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness.
Creating a minister for loneliness is a welcome development from a government that frequently seems distanced from the social problems faced by many Britons. It is though only a small step in the direction of progress.
The practical aspects of just what powers Ms Crouch will have are vague, she nay find it an uphill struggle convincing a constitutionally sceptical treasury to release enough funding to make a real difference. As for getting the ONS to measure loneliness, that may go the same way as David Cameron’s attempt to quantify happiness a few years ago.
If this or any government is serious about tackling loneliness, then it will need to address the fractured nature of our society in a holistic manner. Touching on every aspect from how we work and travel; to where we live and how much tax we pay.
This will require having a mature conversation with the electorate and showing a determination to act for the long term in the face if media demands to solve every problem instantly. Sadly, that may be beyond all three mainstream political parties, caught as they are in an endless cycle of bickering and short- term thinking.
The creation of a ministerial post with responsibility in this area was one if the recommendations made by the commission on loneliness set up by the MP Jo Cox who was murdered during the 2016 Brexit referendum.
In a statement released by Downing Street Prime Minister Theresa May said that Ms Cox had ‘recognized the scale of loneliness across the country and dedicated herself to doing all she could help those affected.’
Tracey Crouch told the BBC that she would ‘honour’ the memory of Jo Cox by working to develop a government strategy for tackling an issue about which she had been ‘passionate’.
As part of this strategy it is understood the ONS will be tasked with developing a means of measuring loneliness. There are also plans to set up a fund to support community based events tackling loneliness and social isolation.
Loneliness has been recognized as a growing social problem in the UK, particularly amongst older people, 17% of who responded to a survey said they saw friends of family less than once a week. It has also been linked to health conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
(source: The Campaign Against Loneliness)
Quoted in the New York Times Mark Robinson of Age UK said that the health impact of loneliness was equivalent to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.
The appointment of a ‘ministerial lead' to oversee the issue was welcomed by MPs Rachel Reeves and Seema Kennedy, joint chairs of the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness.
Creating a minister for loneliness is a welcome development from a government that frequently seems distanced from the social problems faced by many Britons. It is though only a small step in the direction of progress.
The practical aspects of just what powers Ms Crouch will have are vague, she nay find it an uphill struggle convincing a constitutionally sceptical treasury to release enough funding to make a real difference. As for getting the ONS to measure loneliness, that may go the same way as David Cameron’s attempt to quantify happiness a few years ago.
If this or any government is serious about tackling loneliness, then it will need to address the fractured nature of our society in a holistic manner. Touching on every aspect from how we work and travel; to where we live and how much tax we pay.
This will require having a mature conversation with the electorate and showing a determination to act for the long term in the face if media demands to solve every problem instantly. Sadly, that may be beyond all three mainstream political parties, caught as they are in an endless cycle of bickering and short- term thinking.
Monday, 15 January 2018
Companies are more profitable, but workers are feeling the pain of a drop in real wages.
The profitability of UK companies has risen above pre-crisis levels, despite this there is growing concern amongst working families about a significant fall in real wages.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the profitability of UK registered companies has risen by 12.6% in the last quarter of 2017 compared to 11.4 in the same period in 2007. In the public -sector profitability had risen by 19.1% compared to 14% ten years ago. Over the same period real wages have fallen by 4.4%.
Commenting on the fall in real wages TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said ‘working people are caught in the middle of the longest pay squeeze since Napoleonic times'.
Adding that it was ‘galling to see so many people on poverty pay in the public sector, where profits have shot up'.
Price inflation in the UK is at its highest level since 2012, creating problems that will hit families on low incomes hardest.
Bus and coach fares have risen by 13.9%, meaning that low income families, who are often more dependent on public transport will have to budget for spending an extra £116.15 a year on travel costs. Energy costs have risen by 6.4% and food bills by 4.3%, meaning low income families will need an extra £130 just to cover these basic expenses.
(source Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
As the cost of living rises inexorably wages are struggling to keep pace, workers in Western Europe will see an average wage rise of 0.9%, in the UK wages are likely to decrease by 0.5%.
Benjamin Frost, a senior global manager at Korn Ferry told City AM that UK workers will ‘find themselves worse off than French or German workers when it comes to pay increases’ in what was, he said, going to be a ‘tough year’ for business.
In November inflation hit 3.1%, on the back of a weak pound and fears over the consequences of a hard Brexit, forcing Bank of England chief Mark Carney to write a letter of explanation to the chancellor.
At the time David Morrison, a senior analyst for GKFX told City AM that workers would see their ‘spending power decease’ as wages failed to keep pace with price rises.
Speaking about the fears of her members as they see their incomes swallowed up by ever riding prices TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said the ‘pay crisis’ should be the government’s first priority, adding that ‘we need a plan to get wages growing with real investment, a higher minimum wage and stronger rights for trade unions'.
The ONS figures showed, she said that Britain ‘not only deserves a pay rise, and that business can afford it too'.
Figures released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that the profitability of UK registered companies has risen by 12.6% in the last quarter of 2017 compared to 11.4 in the same period in 2007. In the public -sector profitability had risen by 19.1% compared to 14% ten years ago. Over the same period real wages have fallen by 4.4%.
Commenting on the fall in real wages TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said ‘working people are caught in the middle of the longest pay squeeze since Napoleonic times'.
Adding that it was ‘galling to see so many people on poverty pay in the public sector, where profits have shot up'.
Price inflation in the UK is at its highest level since 2012, creating problems that will hit families on low incomes hardest.
Bus and coach fares have risen by 13.9%, meaning that low income families, who are often more dependent on public transport will have to budget for spending an extra £116.15 a year on travel costs. Energy costs have risen by 6.4% and food bills by 4.3%, meaning low income families will need an extra £130 just to cover these basic expenses.
(source Joseph Rowntree Foundation)
As the cost of living rises inexorably wages are struggling to keep pace, workers in Western Europe will see an average wage rise of 0.9%, in the UK wages are likely to decrease by 0.5%.
Benjamin Frost, a senior global manager at Korn Ferry told City AM that UK workers will ‘find themselves worse off than French or German workers when it comes to pay increases’ in what was, he said, going to be a ‘tough year’ for business.
In November inflation hit 3.1%, on the back of a weak pound and fears over the consequences of a hard Brexit, forcing Bank of England chief Mark Carney to write a letter of explanation to the chancellor.
At the time David Morrison, a senior analyst for GKFX told City AM that workers would see their ‘spending power decease’ as wages failed to keep pace with price rises.
Speaking about the fears of her members as they see their incomes swallowed up by ever riding prices TUC general secretary Frances O'Grady said the ‘pay crisis’ should be the government’s first priority, adding that ‘we need a plan to get wages growing with real investment, a higher minimum wage and stronger rights for trade unions'.
The ONS figures showed, she said that Britain ‘not only deserves a pay rise, and that business can afford it too'.
Thursday, 11 January 2018
Having 300,000 ‘forgotten’ unemployed people shames a government that isn’t working for anyone.
A report published by the Resolution Foundation two days into the new year shows that 300,000 people who are unemployed or on low wages are missing out on benefits worth £73 a week each.
They are mostly older people, particularly women aged 55-64 and young males. Whilst most are out of work a significant minority have so few hours paid work they are still entitled to support. As the ‘gig economy’ continues to grow this latter situation is going to become ever more common.
David Finch, Senior Economic Analyst for the Resolution Foundation said, ‘over the past twenty years, a growing number of unemployed people are not claiming unemployment benefits.’
This is something successive governments have been relaxed about since the 1990’s, there are, of course, a variety of reasons why people don’t claim the benefits they’re entitled to. Sometimes they have support from a partner or family member, the general assumption on the part of government though is, as David Finch points out, that it is ‘largely due to people finding new work quickly’.
There is though another and more problematic interpretation, namely that a benefits system that has become progressively more antagonistic towards claimants puts people off from applying.
A spokesperson for the DWP quoted on the Welfare Weekly website said ‘anyone who believes they’re entitled to out of work benefits should contact Job Centre Plus', adding that ‘our dedicated advisors are on hand to help people claim what they are entitled to'.
These words ring hollow in the face of accounts of Kafkaesque struggles to claim Universal Credit and those who are successful being left without any income for months before their first payment arrives.
People who study crime often talk about the ‘dark figure', the real crime rate that exists in the shadows behind the official statistics. It is almost always higher due to a complex set of reasons why people might not report being a victim of crime.
There are reasonable grounds for thinking something similar might exist in relation to people who claim, or in this case don’t claim, unemployment benefits. Even the 300,000 suggested by the Resolution Foundation seems conservative.
Since 2010 the process of claiming benefits has been made ever more difficult and negative media representations make doing so unattractive. This has created a situation where people with legitimate needs are sinking into poverty because they feat being labelled as ‘scroungers’.
A small, in governmental terms, cash saving has been achieved at incalculable cost in human misery. As the lines at the food banks grow, the one sold by Teresa May when she took office in 2016 that she wanted to lead a Britain that works for everyone look noticeably threadbare.
They are mostly older people, particularly women aged 55-64 and young males. Whilst most are out of work a significant minority have so few hours paid work they are still entitled to support. As the ‘gig economy’ continues to grow this latter situation is going to become ever more common.
David Finch, Senior Economic Analyst for the Resolution Foundation said, ‘over the past twenty years, a growing number of unemployed people are not claiming unemployment benefits.’
This is something successive governments have been relaxed about since the 1990’s, there are, of course, a variety of reasons why people don’t claim the benefits they’re entitled to. Sometimes they have support from a partner or family member, the general assumption on the part of government though is, as David Finch points out, that it is ‘largely due to people finding new work quickly’.
There is though another and more problematic interpretation, namely that a benefits system that has become progressively more antagonistic towards claimants puts people off from applying.
A spokesperson for the DWP quoted on the Welfare Weekly website said ‘anyone who believes they’re entitled to out of work benefits should contact Job Centre Plus', adding that ‘our dedicated advisors are on hand to help people claim what they are entitled to'.
These words ring hollow in the face of accounts of Kafkaesque struggles to claim Universal Credit and those who are successful being left without any income for months before their first payment arrives.
People who study crime often talk about the ‘dark figure', the real crime rate that exists in the shadows behind the official statistics. It is almost always higher due to a complex set of reasons why people might not report being a victim of crime.
There are reasonable grounds for thinking something similar might exist in relation to people who claim, or in this case don’t claim, unemployment benefits. Even the 300,000 suggested by the Resolution Foundation seems conservative.
Since 2010 the process of claiming benefits has been made ever more difficult and negative media representations make doing so unattractive. This has created a situation where people with legitimate needs are sinking into poverty because they feat being labelled as ‘scroungers’.
A small, in governmental terms, cash saving has been achieved at incalculable cost in human misery. As the lines at the food banks grow, the one sold by Teresa May when she took office in 2016 that she wanted to lead a Britain that works for everyone look noticeably threadbare.
Thursday, 4 January 2018
Understaffing is damaging the mental health of prisoners.
A report from the Commons public accounts committee cites understaffing and the ‘deterioration’ of the prison service as exacerbating factors in mental health problems faced by inmates.
The report states that 2016 was the year that saw the most suicides in UK prisons (120) and the highest number of incidents of self harm (40,161). It goes on to say that the ‘current level of self inflicted deaths and incidents of self harm in prisons is appalling’, adding that the system for supporting prisoners with mental health needs ‘isn’t working as it should’.
Mental health in UK prisons is a serious problem, 10% of male and 30% of female inmates have had a previous psychiatric admission before going to prison. Levels of anxiety and depression are high, according to a Ministry of Justice survey 49% of female and 23% of male prisoners reported symptoms, personality disorders are also common with 62% of males and 23% of females reporting symptoms, 46% of female prisoners reported making a suicide attempt at some stage of their lives. This is twice the number of males, 21%.
The rates of depression and anxiety in the general population are 12% for males and 19% for females. In the general population, the suicide rate is 6%.
(Source: The Prison Reform Trust)
Lack of effective screening, the report says, means the government has no ‘reliable or up to date measure of the number of prisoners who have mental health problems’. Prisoners with acute mental health problems should wait no more than fourteen days for an admission to a secure hospital, in 2016/17 three quarters waited longer for treatment.
The committee chaired by Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch Meg Hillier recommends that HM Prison and Probation Service improve the screening process and how it uses the data gathered to give an accurate picture of prisoner’s mental health needs. It also calls for improvements to addiction support and better sharing or information between the Prison Service and the NHS.
The report concludes that improving the mental health of prisoners is a ‘difficult and complex task’, but vital to reducing reoffending. Adding that to date the government’s efforts to improve mental health services in prisons had been ‘poorly coordinated’.
(Additional sources: Mental Health Today/ The House of Commons Library.)
The report states that 2016 was the year that saw the most suicides in UK prisons (120) and the highest number of incidents of self harm (40,161). It goes on to say that the ‘current level of self inflicted deaths and incidents of self harm in prisons is appalling’, adding that the system for supporting prisoners with mental health needs ‘isn’t working as it should’.
Mental health in UK prisons is a serious problem, 10% of male and 30% of female inmates have had a previous psychiatric admission before going to prison. Levels of anxiety and depression are high, according to a Ministry of Justice survey 49% of female and 23% of male prisoners reported symptoms, personality disorders are also common with 62% of males and 23% of females reporting symptoms, 46% of female prisoners reported making a suicide attempt at some stage of their lives. This is twice the number of males, 21%.
The rates of depression and anxiety in the general population are 12% for males and 19% for females. In the general population, the suicide rate is 6%.
(Source: The Prison Reform Trust)
Lack of effective screening, the report says, means the government has no ‘reliable or up to date measure of the number of prisoners who have mental health problems’. Prisoners with acute mental health problems should wait no more than fourteen days for an admission to a secure hospital, in 2016/17 three quarters waited longer for treatment.
The committee chaired by Labour MP for Hackney South and Shoreditch Meg Hillier recommends that HM Prison and Probation Service improve the screening process and how it uses the data gathered to give an accurate picture of prisoner’s mental health needs. It also calls for improvements to addiction support and better sharing or information between the Prison Service and the NHS.
The report concludes that improving the mental health of prisoners is a ‘difficult and complex task’, but vital to reducing reoffending. Adding that to date the government’s efforts to improve mental health services in prisons had been ‘poorly coordinated’.
(Additional sources: Mental Health Today/ The House of Commons Library.)
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