Effect of the covid-19 outbreak on children's mental health

That this House notes that the mental health consequences of the covid-19 pandemic are immense and will be long-lasting; asserts that existing demand for mental health services is set to increase and agrees with The Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Medical Association that mental health services, already buckling under the level of demand pre-covid-19 pandemic are now facing a potential tsunami of escalation without the resources to cope; further notes that research including the University of Oxford Co-SPACE survey have observed an increase in children’s mental health problems particularly in the years 4 to 10 age range; agrees with Professor Cathy Cresswell, Professor of Developmental Clinical Psychology at the University of Oxford that prioritising the mental health of children throughout the covid-19 pandemic and beyond is critical; notes that the announcement in the Queen’s Speech of December 2019 that the Mental Health Act 1989 will be reformed gave no specific mention of the urgent needs of children; and calls on the Government to commit to an early reform of the Mental Health Act 1989 during this Parliament and to guarantee that policies to prioritise the urgent mental health needs of children will be at the heart of the drafting of that new Bill and on the face of that Bill.