The BBC documentary Reported Missing follows police officers as they trace missing teenagers, laying bare the devastating impact of repeated lockdowns on children's mental health. One case features 16-year-old Larissa, who was found after taking an overdose and has since recovered, aspiring to become a book illustrator. The programme reports that depression and anxiety among teenagers have reached what it describes as "cataclysmic levels."

Larissa's story: from overdose to book illustration ambitions

Larissa's drawings gave the officers insight into her troubled mind, according to the BBC programme. The documentary shows her being discharged from hospital but still at risk of another suicidal crisis, prompting a search by Glasgow police. Her recovery and ambition to be a book illustrator provide a rare hopeful note amid the urgency of the cases.

The programme uses a measured tone and minimal camera presence to convey the gravity of these situations without melodrama, as the source describes. Larissa's case exemplifies how the mental health crisis has become a daily reality for many young people.

PC Andy Porteous's warning: isolation's 'massive negative impact'

In Edinburgh, Police Constable Andy Porteous spoke out about the negative impact of isolation on young people's mental health and wellbeing. As the documentary reports, Porteous stated that these young people were children during lockdowns and that this form of isolation has had a massive negative impact. His comments underscore the frontline perspective of officers who are increasingly dealing with mental health emergencies.

The programme highlights the strain on public services, with police forced to act as an extension of the NHS. As the source notes, services are stretched beyond their limit, and officers are expending much of their time and energy responding to mental health crises that should be handled by healthcare systems.

A predictable catastrophe that services can't handle

The destructive impact of lockdowns on children's mental health was predictable , according to the documentary, which references numerous articles by GPs, psychiatrists and parents warning of the risks. Yet the crisis has still overwhelmed public services... The programme raises the question of what long-term support exists for teenagers after they are found and returned home.

While Reported Missing focuses on individual cases,the underlying systemic failure remains largely unaddressed. The documentary does not explore whether additional funding or policy changes are forthcoming. What is clear from the report is that police are now the default response to a healthcare emergency, a trend that shows no sign of reversing.