SIXTY per cent of all counselling sessions delivered to young people in Wales by the NSPCC’s Childline service last year were about mental health and wellbeing.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, Childline delivered 5,545 counselling sessions to young people known to be from Wales, with 3,342 of these about mental and emotional health and wellbeing.

Across the UK, Childline delivered 99,179 counselling sessions about mental and emotional health and wellbeing, equating to 272 sessions a day.

When discussing their mental health, some of the top concerns that were raised were anxiety, stress, low mood, depression and loneliness.

To mark World Mental Health Day (October 10^th), the NSPCC is highlighting these figures to show the scale of children struggling with their mental health and to remind them that Childline is a safe place where they can seek help and support.

A 16-year-old girl from Wales who contacted Childline said: “I’m convinced that the world hates me, like no one cares about me.

“I tried telling a friend how I felt, and they only wanted to talk about their own problems; I felt even worse after that. Thank you for letting me talk.”

It is important for children and young people get help with their mental health at an early stage – through schools or in the local community – rather than waiting until they reach crisis point.

That is why NSPCC Cymru is calling on the Welsh Government to ensure that children, young people and their families can access appropriate mental health support within their own local authority area.

The charity also wants to see investment in parent-infant relationship services, to ensure support for babies and young children who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Any child or young person who is struggling can also contact Childline up to the age of 19 and have a confidential conversation with a counsellor over the phone or online, at any time of the day.

Shaun Friel, Director of Childline, said: “At Childline, we know that growing up comes with challenges which can impact the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.

“This is why it is essential that all young people know where they can go for support and the tools available to them that can help them process their emotions, such as resources provided by Childline.

“Whether a young person is feeling anxious, lonely, or depressed, we want to remind all young people this World Mental Health Day that they don’t need to cope alone and our friendly and welcoming counsellors at Childline are here for them.”

The Childline website also provides support to young people on the advice pages or resources, such as Art Box, which is a space for children to write or draw about their feelings. Children can also use the service’s Calm Zone, an area of the website with lots of tools and mechanisms to help young people cope.

Drawing or writing can be a helpful way for children to process their emotions, as it can enable them to express themselves and make sense of their situation.

A 10-year-old child who contacted Childline said: “My little sister is in hospital a lot; it makes me worry and I get upset about it. I have found drawing and colouring helps, I enjoy that, especially butterflies and nature.”

With this in mind, Lidl GB in partnership with Crayola is supporting the NSPCC in their mission to be there for every child needing support with their mental health by launching the Crayola Cosmic Creations and Fantastic Fantasy Activity Tube. The activity tubes – of which £1 per item sold will be donated to Childline – are designed to give children a creative outlet for their emotions using colouring pencils, colouring rolls, foil art posters and stickers, all with vibrant designs.

Charlie Day, CSR Team Manager at Lidl GB, said: “Supporting young people’s mental health matters hugely to our colleagues and customers. That’s why at Lidl GB we’re committed to building on the over £9 million we’ve donated to the NSPCC since 2017, however we can.

“We’re delighted to sell activity tubes in Lidl GB stores that provide children with a calming activity and help them to express their feelings. Co-created by Crayola and Hunter Price International, the product will raise vital funds for Childline, and with the contact details on-pack, will help ensure young people have somewhere to turn when they’re ready to open up.”

Young people can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or via 1-2-1 chat on www.childline.org.uk.