Reflections on “Antisocial”: Grit, Resilience and the Mental Health Landscape for Young People

---

What does it mean to grow up with grit today? And how much should we expect young people to endure before stepping in with support?

These were some of the central questions posed on a recent episode of Antisocial, the BBC Radio 4 programme that explores the issues behind the headlines from multiple viewpoints. The episode unpacked the concept of ‘grit’—a term often linked to resilience and perseverance—and how it applies to childhood in today’s complex, post-pandemic world.

Guests on the show included Connie Muttock (Head of Policy at the Centre of Young Lives) and Mark Lehain (Executive Head at Wootton Academy Trust in Bedfordshire), along with analysis from the BBC’s Education Editor, Branwen Jeffreys. The episode aired on the back of a Telegraph piece by Education Minister Bridget Phillipson and Wes Streeting, Secretary for Health and Social Care on the need for more grit in schools to tackle the growing mental health crisis faced by young people today.

As a Grit coach working with students in schools, I found the discussion both validating and galvanising. Much of what was said echoed what my fellow coaches and I see in our sessions: children and young people struggling with anxiety, facing overwhelming pressures, and searching for a sense of agency in a world that often feels out of their control.

Grit, Resilience and the Language of Challenge

Central to the debate was the definition of ‘grit.’ Is it an innate trait, or something teachable? And how do we measure it meaningfully in the lives of children and young people?

Dr Angela Duckworth, credited with popularising the term in the 2010s, defines grit as “a combination of passion and perseverance for long-term goals.” Importantly, she distinguishes it from natural talent, emphasising instead that grit can be cultivated in a person.

There was also discussion about the meaning of the word itself. Does ‘grit’ evoke visceral struggle (as one guest said, “clenched teeth and fists”), while ‘resilience’ implied capacity and recovery to deal with adversity? Also, how do the media uses the word and how they apply it to their audiences, with the question posed that ‘grit’ feels like a Telegraph word, while ‘resilience’ might belong to The Guardian. Yet all agreed: building character and emotional strength should not be about telling kids to toughen up, but about standing beside them and equipping them with tools to face life’s challenges.

The Crisis of Non-Attendance and Mental Health

Jeffreys quoted that in secondary schools, at least 23% of pupils are persistently absent (missing 10% or more of school), compared to 14% pre-pandemic. In primary schools, the figure has nearly doubled as well.

In my own coaching work, particularly at an all-girls’ secondary school, the primary issue is not laziness or a refusal to work, but anxiety. Many students I see struggle with the academic pace and pressure, sensory issues in the school environment, and a lingering lack of confidence and socialisation post-pandemic. Some students even reframe school absence as a mental health

‘rest day’, believing it to be a legitimate coping mechanism, with some parents supporting that too. Is non-attendance a failure of resilience—or an indicator of how we need to rethink how we support children?

Early Support Matters—But Is It There?

There was strong consensus on the programme that early intervention is key. And yet, our systems aren’t keeping up. One in five children and young people now has a “probable mental disorder”, according to NHS data. Waiting lists for specialist care can stretch from six months to a year. The most common reason for referrals is extreme anxiety.

Meanwhile, the pressure is falling on schools. Some are spending hundreds of thousands annually on additional support but for many schools, there’s simply no extra money in the pot. That’s where GRIT and similar services play a vital role: providing free and accessible support that helps young people stay grounded, build agency and avoid mental health challenges spiralling into bigger things.

GRIT’s Four Corners method, for example, helps students identify the things they can control, shift their mindset, and reclaim a sense of ownership over their lives. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful this can be—even for students navigating serious personal or academic challenges.

Diagnosing vs Supporting: A Delicate Balance

While shining the spotlight on mental health is clearly important and necessary, some argue it’s gone too far and there is now an ‘overdiagnosis’ of young people. Mark Lehain says we’ve become better at identifying mental health issues, but that we also risk: “Pathologising normal behaviours and feelings,” which he says a part of growing up. Families and schools can default to self-diagnosis Lehain says, because they can’t get access to medical professionals.

Wherever we sit on the issue, it shouldn’t be a black and white choice between diagnosis or dismissal. Mental health support should be a spectrum of timely, appropriate help which validates a young person’s experience., while equipping them with practical ways to move forward.

Agency, Identity and the Role of Coaching

Another interesting issue on the programme was the issue of agency. Diagnoses, while sometimes necessary our experts say, can also risk removing a child’s sense of control. Instead: “It’s our job as adults to show them what they can influence, and how to cope with the things they can’t,” Lehain says.

This resonates with my experience as a coach. Through tools like the Four Corners Method, GRIT helps young people to work out who they are, primarily through their values, so they have more choice and power over their own lives. Many of our students are navigating extremely challenging circumstances, but when given space and support, they consistently show that resilience is something that can be developed.

Mental health, after all, isn’t just about diagnosis—it’s about navigating the ever-shifting, opaque terrain that young people live in today.

Building Culture, Not Just Coping Skills

Another point raised was moving beyond individual solutions and looking at school culture as a whole. What values do we celebrate in schools? How do we teach emotional intelligence, purpose, and perseverance—not just academic achievement?

The evidence shows that social-emotional learning improves educational outcomes. But schools are under enormous pressure, asked to deliver more with less. Teachers are overstretched, PHSE is under-resourced, and wellbeing still sits on the margins of too many curriculums.

It’s time to rethink that. Grit, resilience, and wellbeing aren’t ‘extras.’ They’re part of the foundation for everything else.

So What’s Next?

The programme ended with a big question: What are schools for? The answer: to prepare young people for life—with the support of parents, communities, and organisations like ours.

At GRIT, we believe we’re only scratching the surface. We have an opportunity to:

• Deepen our impact in areas like digital wellbeing—largely missing from the current conversation.
• Capture and contribute real-time data from our coaching work to inform better policy.
• Scale the GRIT model—our definition of resilience—and show what’s possible when young people are seen, heard, and supported.
• Partner with policymakers to ensure youth voices help shape the future of mental health support.

The word ‘grit’ may be political, loaded, even divisive. But the goal behind it is shared: happy, healthy, thriving young people who know how to face life’s challenges—and who know that they’re not alone.

To find out more about Growing Resilience in Teens and the work we do to support young people aged 11 – 24, please click here