Common worries for young people and families during COVID-19 pandemic - survey

Since schools were closed to most pupils due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Place2Be has transformed the way it delivers its core service.

Our teams have been working tirelessly to reach those in need during the lockdown. Our mental health professionals are conducting around 1,900 phone sessions with young people, parents and teachers every week.

These sessions provide an opportunity to listen, help with any immediate issues, as well as signpost and facilitate additional support as necessary.

Impact of COVID-19 pandemic

A survey of over 200 of Place2Be’s frontline mental health professionals reveals the common themes* that young people and parents are raising on these calls:

Young people

• Loneliness & isolation (55%)
• Academic worries (48%)
• Juggling schoolwork (45%)
• Loss of rituals like end of year activities or exams (43%)
• Family relationship difficulties (42%)

Parents and carers

• Loneliness & isolation (54%)
• Family relationship difficulties (51%)
• Meeting basic needs, including food (45%)
• Behaviour management (43%)
• Juggling work & home schooling (42%)

Our teams are supporting families with incredibly challenging circumstances – the vast majority have had at least one conversation with a parent or carer who is concerned about losing their job, and almost half with a family who are concerned about the risk of losing their home. Over a quarter have discussed a child or young person’s self-harm or suicide ideation with at least one family, and one in five have discussed an eating disorder with at least one family.

Concerningly, more than half of our teams offering phone sessions for young people in secondary school have had at least one conversation** that covered self-harm or suicide ideation, and almost a third have had at least one conversation discussing violence in the home between parents/carers.

Download coronavirus update (PDF 6MB) 

Place2Be continues to support these young people and families, as well as their schools, as the pandemic continues.

• Read more about how Place2Be has adapted its model in response COVID-19
• Read our advice and wellbeing activity ideas for families and schools
• Support our vital work by donating to our Emergency Appeal

*Based on those who said they ‘Always’ or ‘Very Often’ discuss these themes during phone sessions 

**Based on those who answered ‘Always’, ‘Very Often’, ‘Quite Often’ or ‘Not Very Often’ (i.e. not ‘Never’).