Challenging childhoods

Whichever way you look at it, the fact that one in four women aged between 17 and 19 in England suffer from some form of mental illness is staggering. Clearly, there is much work to be done in terms of both better understanding the contributory factors and improving treatment for those afflicted.

Neither prevention nor cure come cheaply, though. While there have been signs in the last few years that mental health is finally being taken more seriously, the vast majority of funding currently goes towards providing services for adults. This disproportionate spending needs to be addressed - and by investing more in children's services rather than simply diverting funds away from adults' services' pot.