Royal Caledonian Education TrustThe mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Scotland is an issue of growing concern. A lack of robust research and data means we do not know whether the incidence of mental health difficulties differs between Armed Forces children and young people and their civilian peers. However, the unique experiences and challenges facing children and young people in Armed Forces families including high levels of mobility and parental deployment, means that their mental health and wellbeing not only merits, but requires, specific consideration.
We would like to see:
- Research exploring the mental health and wellbeing of Armed Forces children and young people in comparison to their civilian peers.
- Recognition by policy-makers and practitioners of the unique context of Armed Forces life in terms of the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people living in Armed Forces families.