More than one in ten of Northern Ireland’s schoolchildren are suffering from serious mental health problems including anorexia, bulimia, self-harming tendencies and depression — and teachers cannot cope, a leading union warned today.

The Ulster Teachers’ Union said that these children — who attend primary, post-primary and even nursery schools — need much more support than they are currently receiving.

General secretary Avril Hall Callaghan said: “It is essential that children and young people are appropriately supported if they are to succeed and achieve academically.”

All post-primary schools have access to counselling — but this has not yet been extended to the primary sector. However, the Department of Education is currently researching the need for emotional health and well-being programmes within the primary and special school sector.

Ms Hall Callaghan's UTU colleague Jacquie Reid, a former teacher, said many children are having to deal with emotional crises. The UK's Mental Health Foundation says around 7% of pre-school children are living with a severe mental health problem and 12% of five to 16-year-olds have problems severe enough to need help.

Ms Reid said: “In this post conflict period for Northern Ireland and certainly in my own experience as a teacher and field officer visiting schools across the province, our children and young people face a uniquely challenging experience growing up.

“The Bamford Report into mental health in Northern Ireland — which has been shaping recent policy — estimated that 45,000 local children and adolescents have a moderate to severe mental health disorder.

“These statistics highlight the extent of the problem facing our young people and the need for sustained action by all of us — not just government, but society in general. Children are all our responsibility.

“It’s vital teachers have a support mechanism if they are to cope with the emotional crises facing our children. Policy makers need to use joined-up thinking to allow the Departments of Health and Education to tackle this issue together.”

A Department of Education spokesman said: “Through a contract awarded to Contact Youth, counselling services are available to post-primary schools who wish to use them.

“While the counselling service has not been extended to primary schools, at the beginning of this financial year the Education Minister Caitriona Ruane announced additional funding of £2.5m over the next three years to determine the need for and subsequently fund appropriate emotional health and well being programmes in primary and special schools.

“Research is under way and should be completed in March.”