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Recent statistics from the NHS reveal that approximately 20% of children aged 8-16 in the UK were diagnosed with a probable mental health disorder in 2023, an increase from 12.5% in 2017. Meanwhile, a 2024 report from the Children’s Commissioner for England revealed that over a quarter of a million children were unable to access the mental health support they urgently needed. These numbers signal a growing crisis in young people’s mental health, but some argue that the issue may not solely be a lack of resilience.
Resilience—the ability to bounce back from adversity—has long been touted as a key factor in mental health. Higher levels of resilience are often linked to lower rates of mental health problems in young people. However, the evidence surrounding resilience’s role in mental health is far from straightforward. While there are certainly valuable skills children can learn to improve their emotional well-being, focusing solely on resilience may overlook other root causes of mental health struggles.
One of the common arguments against the notion that resilience alone can address the mental health crisis is the concern over “over-pathologizing” young people’s emotions. Over-pathologizing refers to the tendency to interpret mild distress or sadness as a symptom of mental illness. While increased awareness of mental health issues is important and helps to reduce stigma, it has been suggested that such efforts might unintentionally contribute to an inflated perception that expressing emotional struggles is socially desirable. This can create confusion among young people, blurring the line between normal emotional variation and true mental health problems.
To balance this, a more comprehensive approach to mental health in schools and society should not only teach about the signs of mental illness but also help young people understand and accept the wide range of human emotions. Teaching them how to notice emotions without reacting to them or labeling emotions can foster resilience. However, it’s crucial to avoid interpreting resilience as simply “toughening up.” Overemphasizing emotional suppression or “putting on a brave face” may actually harm mental health, rather than promoting resilience.
The broader societal context must also be addressed. Research consistently shows that factors like poverty and discrimination contribute significantly to poor mental health. The NHS survey revealed that children from families with lower incomes were disproportionately affected by mental health disorders. If we place the responsibility for mental health solely on the shoulders of young people, advocating for resilience, we risk ignoring the broader social, economic, and political factors that fuel these crises.
The global climate crisis is another pressing issue that compounds young people’s mental health struggles. Over half of young people aged 17-25 reported feeling anxiety and concern over climate change, according to the NHS survey. Simply telling them to “be resilient” in the face of such an overwhelming issue fails to acknowledge the responsibility of adults and policymakers to act on climate change.
Similarly, the pervasive influence of social media contributes to deteriorating mental health. Platforms often promote the pursuit of extrinsic goals—such as fame, wealth, and beauty—which can have harmful effects on young people’s well-being. Teenagers, in particular, are vulnerable to the addictive aspects of social media, which can be exacerbated by normal developmental changes in the brain. Addressing the mental health crisis requires more than just building resilience in young people; it necessitates action from social media companies to mitigate harmful content.
It’s clear that resilience alone is not a catch-all solution. Mental health prevention requires a broader set of skills, many of which overlap with resilience. These include self-regulation—the ability to manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors—as well as emotional awareness, mindfulness, and the capacity to manage rumination and emotional reactivity.
Rather than focusing exclusively on resilience, a more effective approach to mental health would emphasize the development of these key emotional and psychological skills. In the same way we prioritize foundational subjects like math and reading, mental health skills should be nurtured through consistent practice, guidance, and support throughout childhood and adolescence.
The goal should be to build a framework for mental well-being that is as integrated into young people’s education as other core subjects, backed by rigorous research and tailored to the realities of their lives. This approach could include more comprehensive mental health curricula in schools, with a focus on emotional literacy, gratitude, social connections, and a sense of purpose.
In conclusion, resilience is an important component of mental well-being, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. To truly address the mental health crisis facing young people, we must adopt a holistic approach that considers the societal, environmental, and psychological factors at play and equips children with the skills needed to navigate them. Only then can we create the transformative solutions that are desperately needed.
