Mental health support for children and young people

Mental health support for children and young people

Support for children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing.

Childhood has a profound effect on our adult lives. Many mental health conditions in adulthood show their first signs in childhood and, if left untreated, can develop into conditions which need regular care. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Things that can help keep children and young peoples mental health include:

  • good physical health, eating a balanced diet and getting regular exercise
  • having time and the freedom to play, indoors and outdoors
  • being part of a family that gets along well most of the time
  • going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils
  • taking part in local activities for young people

Other factors are also important, including:

  • feeling loved, trusted, understood, valued and safe
  • being interested in life and having opportunities to enjoy themselves
  • being hopeful and optimistic
  • being able to learn and having opportunities to succeed
  • accepting who they are and recognising what they are good at
  • having a sense of belonging in their family, school and community
  • feeling they have some control over their own life
  • having the strength to cope when something is wrong (resilience) and the ability to solve problems

Anxiety and fear

Many children get scared of things that other children aren't scared of.

Common fears in primary school aged children

Some common fears for primary school children are:

  • being hit by a car
  • war
  • not being able to breathe
  • fire or getting burnt
  • being sent to the headteacher
  • falling from high places
  • a burglar breaking in to the house
  • animals
  • getting lost
  • failure and criticism
  • being alone
  • the dark
  • thunder and lightening
  • 'bad' people
  • frightening stories in the media
  • separation from parents or being left behind
  • imaginary creatures like monsters

Common anxieties in teenagers

Some common anxieties for teenagers are:

  • fitting in with friends
  • school work/tests/exams
  • failing to meet expectations
  • relationships
  • appearance
  • starting or changing school

Signs to look out for

Look out for the following signs that might tell you your child is struggling:

  • finding it hard to concentrate
  • not sleeping, or waking in the night with bad dreams
  • not eating properly
  • quickly getting angry or irritable, and being out of control during outbursts
  • constantly worrying or having negative thoughts
  • avoidance of what is causing the anxiety
  • feeling tense and fidgety, or using the toilet often
  • always crying
  • being clingy
  • complaining of tummy aches and feeling unwell

Managing fears

Some tips on how to manage your child's fears:

  • talk to your child about their fears, let them know you understand and that everyone gets scared sometimes
  • set a good example by trying to control your own fears
  • teach your child coping methods like taking deep breaths, relaxing, thinking of happy thoughts or places and saying positive things to themselves
  • encourage your child to face their fears gradually, for example, if they're scared of dogs start by looking at pictures of dogs and work up in stages by seeing a real dog in the park, letting a dog sniff them and then stroking or feeding a dog
  • remain calm when your child is scared and give them reassurance that they're coping well
  • offer praise and encouragement when they face their fears
  • encourage them to try new things so they are less frightened of new situations
  • help them to face situations they must do, like going to school or having an injection, prepare them calmly by describing what will happen and praise them when it's over
  • talk to them about dangerous situations so they know what they should stay away from to avoid risks or getting hurt
  • find other children of a similar age to talk to your child about frightening situations, such as starting a new school, so they can explain things from their point of view

Lumi Nova 

Lumi Nova is a digital therapy platform aimed at children and young people aged 7 to 12 with anxiety and phobia issues.

The platform is primarily self-led or parent supported. This is available to anyone living in or attending a school in Herefordshire and Worcestershire, see:

Useful links

The following links contain more information and support to help manage your child's fear and anxiety:

Stress

Children get stressed just the same as adults and this can cause them to behave differently or become challenging. There are a number of things that parents and carers can do to make their children less stressed and happier.

What might children find stressful

Some things children and young people may find stressful include:

  • change
  • birth of a brother or sister
  • illness
  • inconsistent routines
  • inconsistent boundaries
  • loss of a family member, loved pet or a key person in their life
  • long journeys
  • moving home
  • not having what other children have
  • parents’ absence
  • parental stress/anger/anxiety
  • starting nursery, school or other childcare setting

How might this make them feel

Being stressed can make them feel:

  • confused
  • guilty
  • jealous
  • lonely
  • sad
  • scared
  • tired
  • unloved
  • worried

How might they behave

A persons behaviour can change if they are feeling stressed, some signs to look out for are: 

  • overly clingy
  • tantrums
  • poor concentration
  • fighting/arguing
  • tearful
  • obsessive behaviours
  • controlling
  • reverting to younger behaviours
  • poor sleep patterns
  • physical symptoms – headaches/’funny tummy’

What can you do

Some tips on how to manage your child's stress:

  • manage your own stress
  • physical activity
  • prepare them for change
  • provide more structure/predictability to their day
  • plan fun time where there are opportunities to talk
  • regular meals and a healthy balanced diet
  • teach relaxation

Useful links

The following links contain more information and support to help manage your child's stress:

Anger

Everyone gets angry from time to time but it can be worrying when your child seems to get angry easily or very often. There are lots of reasons why a child may get angry.

Useful links

The following links contain more information you could try sharing with your child and to help them to come up with ways to manage their anger:

Mental health

Some useful resources to support children and young people with their mental health.

Melo

Melo is available for children and young people aged 0 to 25 and their families, across Herefordshire and Worcestershire. Melo provides a range of early intervention and preventative support options tailored to meet individual needs, identifying what matters for each child or young person and where appropriate, their family.’

Referral information is available on the Melo website.

YourSpace

Free access to Mental Health & Wellbeing Hubs across the county for young people aged 11 to 25 years. For those aged 16 and over you can refer yourself or just turn up. Those under 16 will need a parental/professional referral and parental consent. Parent/professional and self referral forms are available on the Onside website.

Hubs are located in Redditch, Worcester, Droitwich, Evesham and Malvern.

Kooth

Kooth is a free safe and anonymous place for online support and counselling with various tools to use to support wellbeing.

REACHOUT 

Struggling to cope? You're not alone.

We’re proud to partner with Shout to offer free and confidential text support to anyone in Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Shout’s mental health professionals are available 24/7 and can help if you’re feeling stressed, isolated or low.

  • Text “REACHOUT” to 85258 from anywhere in the UK to start a conversation

Mentor Link

Is a registered charity dedicated to providing social and emotional support to distressed children and young people.

Suicidal thoughts

For young people with suicidal thoughts and whose life is at risk call 999.

For suicidal thoughts please contact The Samaritans 24/7 on 116 123.

For more information, see: Suicide prevention and support

HopelineUK

A specialist telephone service staffed by trained professionals who give non-judgemental support, practical advice and information to children, teenagers and young people up to the age of 35 who are worried about how they are feeling or anyone who is concerned about a young person.

Reading Well for children

Reading Well for children provides quality-assured information, stories and advice to support children’s mental health and wellbeing. It covers general information and advice about understanding and managing feelings, school and online pressures, bereavement, parental mental health needs, and living well with specific diagnosed conditions and physical disabilities.

Reading Well for young people (Shelf Help)

Reading Well for young people recommends expert endorsed books about mental health, providing 12 to 18 year olds with advice and information about issues like anxiety, stress and OCD, and difficult experiences like bullying and exams. 

For more information visit: Reading well in Worcestershire libraries

Useful resources and links

Related

Loneliness and isolation

We recognise there are people of all ages who may be feeling lonely or isolated and we want to encourage everyone to take simple steps to help them feel more connected.

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