Logan Scott, 15, currently doing GCSEs, struggled with being in and out of school between lockdowns.
He’s suffered with anxiety since he was 11 but training group manager mum, Michelle, 49, said it’s become much worse since March 2020, but he struggled to get help.
She says: “His mood levels were extreme. The uncertainty made him feel he didn’t know what was happening.
“When lockdown first was announced, I was very worried about him because he was already struggling so much with anxiety and we felt at this important time being in Year 10 and 11 he needed all the support from school he could get and that was taken away.
“When he went back to school, he was even more anxious about how he felt about himself and dealing with others.
“He became even more insular and very withdrawn.”
Logan, from Isle of Wight, didn’t get help from the NHS’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services so Michelle paid for private talking therapy.
She says: “It feels like CAMHS is a closed door. It wasn’t easy to access and we were told he wasn’t severe enough for help - it seems as if they only look after children who are in crisis.
“We also tried going down the route of getting him An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for children with special educational needs, but were told his school can support him. But the pastoral care just isn’t there, I only really hear from them if Logan does something wrong.”
Michelle says one of the things that has helped Logan has been doing a residential programme with the United Kingdom Sailing Academy in Cowes called Sea Change.
“When he gets in the water his worries disappear and he becomes a different boy. I think there needs to be more projects out there to help kids like Logan, who have different needs,” says Michelle.
“There is an emphasis on school work and getting the best grades.
“Logan is doing his GCSEs at the moment but there is a lot of stress, and the workloads are very high as his class are catching up on work that was missed due to Covid - he’s doing an extra hour after school which doesn’t benefit children like Logan who really struggled with the anxiety caused by it.”
How to get help: If you are struggling or you are worried about a loved one, contact Samaritans on 116123. For more advice visit nhs.uk/mental-health or www.mind.org.uk/information-support/coronavirus
