Sinn Féin MLA Catherine Kelly has called for emotional resilience to be a key part of the school curriculum to ensure better services and support for young people. 

Catherine Kelly was speaking after a report commissioned by the departments of education and health found that pressure to achieve at school and being liked online are the biggest threats to schoolchildren’s mental health.

The party’s spokesperson on children and young people said:

“Our children and young people are coming under increasing stress and many are struggling with mental health issues including anxiety.

“Issues around body image and social media are playing a damaging role on the mental and physical health of our young people. 

“The research also suggested the need to achieve academically, particularly in the transfer test, caused stress in some young children, starting from primary five onwards.

“We need to do as much as possible to help our young people become better equipped to deal with the pressures they face.

“Sinn Féin has consistently called for emotional resilience to be a key part of the school curriculum to ensure better services and support for all our young people.

“They need to be encouraged to seek help and to be more of aware of their own, and others’, mental health and emotional well-being.”