Primary one pupils offered counselling to cope with anxiety
Pupils are requiring mental health supports for anxiety at an increasingly young age
Pupils as young as four are being offered counselling services for anxiety.
Glasgow City Council has lowered the age its psychological services offer therapies in response to rising numbers of young pupils with mental health issues.
Barry Syme, head of the Glasgow Educational Psychology Service, told MSPs that the age of children in need of support has dropped rapidly since the pandemic.
He said previously pupils presenting with anxiety would be aged around 16 but now nine-year-olds are seeking help.
Mr Syme told Holyrood’s education committee that the problem has become significantly worse over the past 10 years.
He said: “Traditionally, it was 15 and 16-year-olds who would present with anxiety, and I recall young people not attending school because of that.”
School counselling figures show that number dropping.
“So we're now seeing children round about primary five - nine-year-olds - who are seeking support for anxiety, and that has been increasing over time to a point now in Glasgow that we actually offer school counselling and therapies right up from primary one onwards.”
The committee heard that expectations and demands on pupils are now “much greater” than in previous generations.
Mr Syme said young people are also picking up on the fact their parents are under financial pressures.
Helen Waggott, President of the Scottish Guidance Association, said anxiety levels in children are increasing across all age groups but particularly in young children.
She told the committee that one of the main reasons for school absence is that pupils are “too anxious”.
Ms Waggott said social anxiety is a major factor where “young people are spending a huge amount of their lives in their bedrooms and not leaving”.
“We're seeing that now there is an actual problem of young people not leaving their rooms, not socialising with their families, with their friends physically, not able to walk down the street and go into a shop, let alone come into a school where you've got hundreds of young people and their noise,” she added.
When young people talk about friendships they are often speaking about people online who may be in other countries.
She said: “There’s a lack of somebody, a friend even that they can turn to, because they're not used to having human friends, because their friends are online instead, and that I think is a big cause of anxiety as well.”
The committee was told that counsellors based in secondary schools are now being used in primary schools.
Dr Silvia Behrens, Research Associate at the University of Glasgow, warned there may be a “pronounced” effect on the children who were home schooled during covid.
“We can see that there is a huge drop in attendance, particularly among pupils with additional support needs coming from primary to secondary school,” she added.
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment.
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