00:00From the 2022 Young Persons Behaviour and Attitude Survey, which found that well-being in 14-year-olds had declined to its lowest ever level and Gears had even lower scores than boys.
00:11The 2025 Life and Time Survey showed that 39% of 16-year-olds had fair or poor mental health.
00:18But when we look at the screeners, the questions that detect mental illness, the stats are even worse.
00:25I'm afraid it's 45.4% of 16-year-olds having a probable mental illness, over half of Gears and a third boys.
00:35So I would add that mental health in schools is a key element of peace-building, since poor mental health is related to social violence and prejudice, including racism, which we all know is a massive problem at the minute in Northern Ireland.
00:48So I would be asking the Department to expand the provision in schools to address this growing need and even to consider dedicated funding for CMV sector organisations to bring them into the framework.
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