How BBC Children in Need’s A Million & Me projects are supporting 8-13 year olds’ mental health
Juliet Snell
Supporting the mental health of children aged 8-13 has largely been overlooked and under-resourced. A Million & Me is a programme funded by BBC Children in Need, aiming to address this gap in provision and improve the emotional health of children under 14 – the age by which half of mental health difficulties begin to emerge.
Centre for Mental Health is working with A Million & Me to extract learning from the projects funded by the programme. Everyday magic presents the insights gathered from the first two years of the programme, alongside evidence on the mental health of children aged 8-13, and highlights the inequalities that need to be addressed to ensure all children are supported.
The briefing finds that within trusting, positive relationships, everyday conversations about mental health can equip children to learn about their mental wellbeing and reach out for help when they need it. The briefing also finds that a holistic, partnership approach can build “scaffolding” to enhance children’s mental health.
Everyday magic calls for investment in good quality resources and information about children’s mental wellbeing across the spectrum, with a specific focus on children who are currently poorly served: disabled children, children with behavioural difficulties, children living in rural and coastal communities, and children living in poverty.
