by Most older elementary school students have sleep problems and a third suffer from emotional difficulties, a large study has found.
Half of the children ages seven to 11 who took part in the study said they had been bullied at school, and less than half ate fruit or vegetables every day.
The study of more than 50,000 children in Wales found that mental health symptoms tended to be more common in children from less affluent families.
Researchers behind the School Health Research Network (SHRN) project said it was the most comprehensive investigation into the health and wellbeing of primary school-aged children in Wales – and one of the most detailed in the UK.
Lynne Neagle, the Welsh cabinet minister for education, said some of the findings were sobering.
She added: “It is important that we hear directly from children and young people to better understand how they are feeling and what influences them, so that we can shape our future work. Parts of this report make sobering reading.”
SHRN is a partnership between the Welsh Government, Cardiff University and Public Health Wales. More than 500 primary schools from all 22 local authorities in Wales took part in the study – almost half of all state-run primary schools. One independent school participated and a total of 51,662 learners completed an SHRN questionnaire.
Findings included:
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68% of children reported that they sometimes or always have problems sleeping. 15% reported a bedtime of 10 p.m. or later.
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About 30% reported “increased or clinically significant emotional difficulties.” This was reported by more girls than boys and learners from low-income families.
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51% said they had been bullied at school in the last few months. Slightly more girls than boys said they had been bullied. 29% of sixth graders said they had been a victim of cyberbullying in the last few months.
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48% said they eat fruit at least once a day. Girls were more likely to report eating fruit every day. 37% said they eat vegetables at least once a day. Boys were less likely to report eating vegetables every day.
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69% of learners reported high levels of life satisfaction. Life satisfaction decreased with increasing age. A slightly higher proportion of boys reported high life satisfaction than girls.
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In almost all survey questions, learners who said they did not identify as either a boy or a girl scored lower.
Rocio Cifuentes, the children’s commissioner for Wales, said: “Behind every statistic there is a child and we need to respond quickly to what we hear because some of the reports are deeply worrying.”
“How children and young people are supported with their mental health and emotional wellbeing is a key issue for the Welsh Government.
“One-stop mental health shops should be available to children in every health board, where they can easily access the help and support they need. We need more investment in frontline staff in schools. We need more focus and resources on early intervention and preventive approaches to support and maintain good emotional well-being and mental health.”
The idea is that the data will be used by schools, health authorities and policymakers to identify trends and help children when they are struggling.
SHRN researchers say the project is unique in its scale and reach in the UK. Secondary school students in Wales have previously been studied, but this was the first to focus on primary school children.
The Welsh Government said it is investing more than £13 million a year in its “whole school approach” to mental health, with more than £3 million going directly into school counseling. It said it would use the data to inform its policies on health and bullying.
• In the UK, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or by email at jo@samaritans.org. You can contact mental health charity Mind on 0300 123 3393 or visit mind.org.uk.
