Children’s mental health

Since the Covid 19 pandemic hit we have been hearing a lot about mental health, in particular the mental health of children and young people, but what does it mean?

Good mental health does not just mean the absence of diagnosable mental health conditions. It is the ability to feel and express emotions, the ability to form good relationships, to learn and to cope with change and uncertainty and generally to live a life as fully and independently as possible. As parents or carers there are lots of things we can do to encourage good emotional health in our children.

Listen without judgement – Try not to belittle your child’s concerns, or be too quick to offer a solution. Instead help them to tolerate uncomfortable emotions and to work their way through them.

Choose your moment – When a child is angry or upset they are not going to be in the right mindset for discussing issues. Wait till they are calm and unhurried. Teens often find it easier to talk when they are doing something at the same time eg while cooking with you, or while you are driving them somewhere.

Help them name their emotions – this is particularly useful for younger children who struggle to understand how they’re feeling. Eg ‘It looks like you’re feeling sad/angry/disappointed/nervous’.

Keep a record – Some young people find keeping a journal (either written or online) about their thoughts and feelings can be really helpful. Younger children may find drawing pictures is a good way of expressing how they feel.

Let them know it’s OK not to be happy all the time. We all have good and bad days and it’s important children build resilience to the things that life will inevitably throw at them.

Build routines – Encourage regular bedtimes, meal times etc to enhance their feeling of security and to build good habits for the future.

Exercise – Keeping active is so important for our mental health. Encourage children to find an activity they enjoy, preferably outdoors where they will also get the benefit of fresh air and vitamin D.

Phones, games consoles, social media – love them or hate them, they are all here to stay! It is virtually impossible to protect children from the digital world, but we can try and help them navigate it. Encourage children to set time limits for screen time, in particular making bedtime a screen-free time. Make sure they understand that what they see online is not necessarily true - images can be altered, and the ‘perfect life’ depicted on social media is rarely as it seems.

Get help - There are many resources out there to support young people and their families: Kooth – www.kooth.com is a mental wellbeing community for young people that offers free, safe and anonymous support.

Young Minds - Offers free confidential online and telephone support to parents via their helpline 08088 025544 or their website www.youndminds.co.uk

MindEd for Families - Gives safe and reliable advice about young people’s mental health www.mindedforfamilies.org.uk

The Zone ( www.thezoneplymouth.co.uk) - A Plymouth-based charity helping young people with a range of issues, including mental health, sexual health and housing.

It’s normal to feel sad, angry or worried from time to time, but it may be time to seek professional help if:

Your child’s problems are lasting a long time and don’t seem to be getting any better

They have problems that are interfering with their educational or social life

They have thoughts of self-harm or suicide

Your GP, health visitor (for children under 5) or child’s school can all be good ports of call. All of these professionals can refer to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) if needed.

There is also now an Urgent Mental Health Support Line in Plymouth, available 24 hours a day on 01752 435122.

By Dr Rachel Tyler, Stirling Road Surgery, St Budeaux