Member's statement: Children and Young People: Mental Health and Well-Being
Member's statement by Mrs Cathy Mason on .
- MLA
- Mrs Cathy Mason
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 13 January 2025
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- Children and Young People: Mental Health and Well-Being
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4737861
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I will talk about an issue that is nothing short of a crisis: the mental health and well-being of our children and young people. That crisis is claiming lives, devastating families and stretching our health and education systems to their limits. I begin by acknowledging the parents who, last month, just prior to Christmas, shared their heartbreaking experiences with me: your courage in speaking out reminds us why urgent action is needed. Last month, I also met people from New Script for Mental Health, who spoke passionately on topics such as the need for early intervention, the rise in the use of prescription antidepressants to treat our children and young people and the stark reality that suicide is more prevalent in areas of high disadvantage. The statistics are clear and deeply troubling. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people, especially in areas of high deprivation, yet, as the crisis grows, the services that are designed to support those in need are failing to keep up. Child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) waiting lists are shockingly long, with children and their families often waiting months — sometimes years — for the help that they so desperately need. For many, those delays are life-altering; for some, they are life-ending. We cannot let that continue. That is why I am calling on the Minister of Education and the Minister of Health to prioritise health and well-being in our schools. Schools must become front-line hubs for early intervention. That means embedding mental health practitioners in schools and ensuring that there is immediate access to support when children need it most. Early intervention not only saves lives but reduces the long-term burden on our health services. Mental health provision in schools cannot stop at crisis response: it must include preventative measures. We need to equip our children with the tools to manage stress, build resilience and navigate the complexities of life in this digital age. Speaking of the digital age, we cannot ignore the enormous impact of social media on our young people's mental health. The pressure to conform, the endless comparison and the damaging effects of online bullying are contributing to rising levels of anxiety, depression and self-harm. We must work with schools, families and the tech companies to educate young people about safe and healthy social media use. We must also demand accountability from social media platforms, whose algorithms profit from amplifying harmful content. This is a call to action. Mental health and well-being provision must be woven into the fabric of our education system. Every single child deserves to feel safe, supported and understood in their school environment. This cannot wait. If we truly care about our children's futures, we must invest in their mental health now. We need shorter waiting lists, mental health practitioners in every school and an education system that prioritises well-being alongside academic study. I urge Ministers to make it a top priority, because the stakes are simply far too high.
499 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.03 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.96).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.96 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.03 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.86 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.10 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.04 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:42 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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