Children's and young people's mental wellbeing

Help for children and young people

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 people mentally well include:

being in 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

Support for children and young people that deal with:

Anxiety and fear

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

Common fears in primary school aged 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 are

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

Signs to look out for

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

How to manage fears

talk to your child about their fears and let them know that 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 lots of reassurance that they're coping well
offer praise and encouragement when they face their fears
encourage your child to try new things so they are less frightened of new situations
help your child 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 your child 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

Useful links

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/carers can do to make their children less stressed and happier.

What might children find stressful?

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?

confused
guilty
jealous
lonely
sad
scared
tired
unloved
worried

How might they behave?

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?

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

Childline - Your feelings

MindEd - a free educational resource on children and young people's mental health for parents, carers and professionals

NSPCC - Mental health and suicidal thoughts – advice on helping a child if they're struggling with their mental health

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. 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:

Childline - Anger

Family Lives - Dealing with anger in teenagers

YoungMinds

Mental health

Children and young people 5 to 19 year old's

The Reach4Wellbeing Team is part of Starting Well Service which is run by Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust. It promotes and supports emotional wellbeing for children and young people aged 5-19 years old. We offer short-term group support programmes for those experiencing emotional difficulties, specifically anxiety, low mood and self-harm. Young people aged 13 and over can self-refer, some may need help from a trusted adult to complete the referral form.

Reach4Wellbeing

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

Kooth

Woo is a free 24/7 confidential, anonymous text support service for all ages.

Text “WOO” 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.

Mentor Link

Rise above

Rise Above - My Mind

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.

HopelineUK is 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.

• HopelineUK

• email: pat@papyrus-uk.org

• telephone: 0800 068 4141 or text 07786209697

Useful links

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