SIX in ten children in the UK are hiding their worries from their parents, a new survey has shown.

The charity Action for Children found that many young people were struggling to share their feelings about issues such as the pandemic, the cost of living and the war in Ukraine.

The charity says bottling up worries can have a negative effect on children and may come out as anger, aggression or depression. It has urged families to get talking this Easter.

The news comes as it’s been revealed that children’s mental health services in the UK are struggling to keep up with demand.

Research by the youth mental health charity stem4 discovered that some young people are having to wait up to two years to get the support they need.

Tom Madders, the director of campaigns at the charity YoungMinds, has called for “early support hubs” to be introduced so that GPs have somewhere they can send under-18s to get immediate help.

Remember, if you’re struggling with your mental health, YoungMinds and Childline are always there to help and give advice. You can find them at www.youngminds.org.uk or www.childline.org.uk