Anxiety is the top mental health concern for children contacting Childline

This World Mental Health Day, the NSPCC is encouraging young people to reach out for support.

Childline delivered more than 12,500 counselling sessions to children and young people struggling with anxiety last year – almost a quarter (23%) of all mental health support provided by the service.

Children told counsellors that their anxiety was linked to a range of pressures, including bullying, body image, school stress, abuse and trauma, as well as wider global issues such as climate change, conflict and political unrest.

One girl, aged 15, told Childline:

“I feel so anxious and overwhelmed. I want to talk about how I’m feeling but I don’t know how. I even panic about having these feelings. I worry about everything – school, not being good enough, what people think about me. I have to act as though everything is fine around everyone else, then cry when I’m alone.”