Looking After Children and Young People’s Mental Health

We investigate behaviour and how to offer appropriate support

Children and Young People’s Mental Health

Looking after Children’s & Young People’s mental health is important, so how can we best look after their well-being if we’re parents, teachers or carers? After all, 1-6 children aged 5-16 are likely to have a mental health problem while 39.2% of 6 to 16-year-olds have experienced a deterioration in mental health since 2017 (Children’s Society).

5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing

This includes connecting with others, exercising, learning new skills, giving to others, and practicing mindfulness.

You can read more about the 5 steps to mental well-being in our blog here

How do I know if a child or young person needs mental health support?

We can all feel angry, sad and stressed sometimes. If a young person or child is struggling with their mental health you can look out for certain behaviours such as sudden changes in behaviour, low self-esteem, arguments, sleep problems, avoiding school and aches and pains.

Could anything trigger these behaviours such as a death or illness in the family, moving house, any upcoming exams, adolescence and relationship or friendship problems?

What should I do to support a child’s or young person's mental health?

You can regularly check in with a child or young person while you’re doing anything together, so they can get used to talking about their feelings.

Leading by example is a great way to support a child or young person’s mental health, children often look to those around them to model their behaviours, so try working on your own mental health and show how you cope with difficult feelings.

Where can I get more help?

If you have a child or young person who is experiencing distress, it’s important to remember that there are support options available.

They can talk to a friend or family member, they can seek help from a G.P., they can call one of the charities listed below, or they may want to go into the hospital for some extra support and staff will be on hand if they need them.