Covid crisis left kids riddled with anxiety

FROM THE HEART

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IF YOU are bewildered by the idea of young people “having anxiety”, you're probably of mature vintage.

We oldies knew what it meant to be a bit anxious. Some of us were scared of heights. Some of us feared spiders. We all felt nervous in new environments and had butterflies fluttering in our stomachs as we walked into the examination hall.

We weren't immune from trepidation or unhappiness, but none of us would ever have described ourselves as “having anxiety”, let alone been deemed in need of professional help. But in 2024, more than 500 children a day in England were referred to mental health services with anxiety that's more than double the pre-pandemic number. Something profound has changed, but what is it?