Report shows economic benefits of counselling in primary school pupils

Early mental health interventions in primary schools, such as one-to-one mental health support from counsellors, could both improve life chances for children over their lifetime and generate significant economic benefits, according to a report conducted by charity Pro Bono Economics.

According to research commissioned by the Department for Education, only 56% of primary schools offer counselling services, compared to 84% of secondary schools. More than nine in ten (93%) of all schools providing counselling services use their own budget to fund this provision.

The study looked at the improvement in mental health of pupils from 251 primary schools, covering 4,548 children who had received one-to-one support from Place2Be counsellors over the school year 2016/17. The report calculates that for every £1 invested, counselling has the potential to deliver a societal return of £6.20 by improving long-term outcomes for each child. This return is achieved through higher rates of employment and earnings and by reducing rates of school truancy, exclusion, smoking, depression and crime.

The economic analysis allowed for the possibilities that 50% of the improvement in a young person’s mental health would either have occurred anyway, since some children will recover without counselling support, or that their recovery might not be sustained over time.
 
Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England and Co-Founder and Trustee at Pro Bono Economics, said:

“An estimated one in ten children and young people in the UK have a mental health condition. Without effective intervention, these conditions can have a significant impact on their life chances and result in significant long-term costs. These costs arise from a range of adverse outcomes for the individual, such as reduced earnings and increased government spending on education, social care, and youth and criminal justice.”

“Charities tell us that results from Pro Bono Economics reports help them to truly understand the impact of their services. This report is a powerful example of our work in action. The analysis of this Place2Be scheme shows the potential for counselling services in primary schools to generate significant economic benefits to children in later life. The analysis in this report is intended to contribute to increased understanding of the value of this type of intervention in primary schools and to help support commissioning decisions.”