One in five young Irish children now experience anxiety

One in five young children in Ireland now experience general anxiety.

New research has shown that 19 percent of primary school students now suffer from general anxiety and 23 percent experience regular 'low moods.' The research conducted by Super Troopers with Laya Healthcare revealed that one in 10 Irish parents describe their child's mental health as 'poor' or 'fair.' Similarly, the vast majority (91 percent) of children aged between 5 - 12 wanted the teachers in their school to receive mental health training. The main causes of stress for young children are being left out of friend groups, the pressure of schoolwork, not 'fitting in,' fighting with family members, and feeling overwhelmed. Laya's research found that most parents would welcome mindfulness exercises being introduced to the school day. The Super Troopers programme encourages families and schools to treat health and wellbeing with the same importance as traditional homework. It includes mindfulness challenges and tips on looking after overall health, as well as the importance of getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, and eating well. Super Trooper's Ann-Marie Ireland says that mindfulness can successfully reduce anxiety and help behavioural issues. She says:

"Spending just a few minutes each day on simple mindfulness exercises can positively transform children, allowing them space and time to be calm, quiet and to be ‘present in the moment’. "Families and schools have really embraced Super Troopers, the Programme provides a holistic approach to helping children be more fit and healthy in body and mind and I encourage every school to take part.”