Almost half a million children who are worried about their feelings or behaviour are not asking for help, according to new research by The Children’s Society.
The research from The Children’s Society annual household survey of 2,300 10-17 year olds in England, Scotland and Wales estimates that 464,000 children who reported being worried about their feelings or behaviour are not reaching out. Without support to manage their issues, these children’s mental health could be more at risk of deteriorating and reaching crisis point.
As Christmas fast approaches, I was asked by The Children's Society to share some tips for managing mental health over the festive season. Below are some suggestions for friends and families, of how you might be able to look out for a young person at this time of year.
1) Plan ahead - If you know that a young person is already struggling with mental health, Christmas time could well exasperate their challenges. Try to encourage them to think and plan for the situations or perhaps people that they foresee being difficult over the Christmas period. Once you identify the points that might be challenging, you can help to plan to mitigate the level of disruption or confrontation.
2) Keep in touch - Christmas is such a busy time, but keeping in regular contact with key positive figures can really help to keep young people feeling well. If you know a young person who you think might be struggling this Christmas period, set yourself a reminder to give them a call or a text at regular intervals throughout the festive season. Similarly, encourage young people to keep in contact with other friends and family who help them feel positive when times are hard.
3) Consider a code word - People struggling with their mental health can find certain social situations overwhelming. Help a young person to remove themselves from a situation they are finding difficult by subtly setting a code-word that lets you know they need a time-out.
4) Take a break together - If you think you’ve noticed that a young person might be feeling anxious or low, ask them to help you with a job (like stacking the dishwasher or walking the dog). This provides an opportunity to move into a different and possibly less intense environment for a bit of time out.
5) Practice the art of conversation - Keeping someone busy with ‘safe’ conversation topics and avoiding those that you think might cause tension can make all the difference during get-togethers. Encourage young people to write a list of conversation topics that they could refer to when they are struggling, and keep the list close by during the festivities. Similarly, if there are certain topics a young person may want to avoid, encourage them to write a list of these and share them with a safe adult who can help divert away from these conversations.
6) Remember help is at hand - If you think a young person could do with extra or external help, encourage them to get in touch with services such as the Samaritans helpline which is open over Christmas. the Childline website also has a lot of useful resources and contact information.
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