What if... we wanted our kids to be happier?

IOE Public Debates: Young people’s poor sense of well-being has hit the headlines this year, with talk of crisis and a lot of soul-searching about why so many of our children seem to be so unhappy and ill at ease these days. Thankfully, serious mental health problems remain comparatively rare and it’s important to remember that childhood and the teenage years, in particular, have always been a difficult time of transition. But something else seems to be going on today, from an earlier age. Blame has been laid at the door of many things – from neoliberalism, to social media, to excessive testing in schools. What's changed to impact on young people’s well-being to such an extent, and what can schools, parents and carers, and policy makers – do about it? Are we doing enough, early on enough, to respond to modern day pressures – whether through mental health training for pupils or mental health first aid training for teachers? We've brought together a panel of experts to give us their views. Speakers included: * Viv Grant, Director, Integrity Coaching * Caroline Hounsell, Director of Community Development, MHFA England * Patrick Johnston, Director of Learning, Place2Be * Praveetha Patalay, Associate Professor, UCL Institute of Education (IOE) and UCL Faculty of Population Health Sciences * Chair: Professor Becky Francis, Director, UCL Institute of Education #IOEDebates