System failing ‘scared, worried’ kids amid Covid pandemic

Almost half of Aussie children say the pandemic had a negative impact on their wellbeing, finds a milestone survey that says young people missed out on ‘critical support’.

A report has found one in five children needed extra support for their mental health and wellbeing over the past two years. Photo: iStock

Almost half of Australian children say the pandemic had a negative impact on their wellbeing and one in five report feeling more “down, scared and worried”, according to a milestone survey that says young people missed out on “critical support” during the pandemic.

The survey examined the ­experiences of more than 4500 children between the ages of nine and 17 and more than 2700 parents across the country. It was conducted by National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, who said the system was failing children and was “not good enough”.

“There will be a large proportion of children and young people who will carry this on through life, the things that they suffered through Covid. That’s what I worry about the most,” she told The Australian. “The thing that Covid really showed us is that policy is made for the concerns of adults, and children are invisible. It was all about the adults’ concerns. I just think it’s not good enough.”

The report – funded by the National Mental Health Commission in June last year – found one in five children needed extra support for their mental health and wellbeing over the past two years, with about one-third responding that schools should offer more mental health ­support.

Ms Hollonds said such support was “patchy”, with affluent private schools more likely to have specialised support while public schools were less equipped. “Kids themselves told us they just didn’t get the support they would have liked from schools, and that is the obvious place to turn to,” she said.

The report also recommended Australian governments make available “free or affordable” services for children and their families across the country, seek views of children and fund school programs to improve children’s understanding of mental health.