Supporting Your Child With Their Mental Health | AD

*This is a collaborative post.

Mental health concerns state of mind and a person’s ability to cope with stress. It affects how we feel, think and act. Unlike physical illness, it’s not as detectable which is why it’s important to speak to your child about how they feel within themselves. We have partnered up with a sixth form in Hampshire to share some tips on how to support children with their mental health.

Educate Yourself

There are different types of mental health problems that young people can suffer from which is why it’s important for parents to know what they are and the indicators of them. Below are a few of the main groups.

Groups of Mental Health Disorders:

• Mood disorders (such as bipolar disorder)
• Anxiety disorders (social anxiety)
• Personality disorders (borderline personality disorder)
• Psychotic disorders (such as schizophrenia)
• Eating disorders 
• Trauma-related disorders (PTSD)
• Substance abuse problems

Your child doesn’t necessarily have to have any of the above to experience a decline in their mental health. People on the autism spectrum like my son could experience mental health issues through communication barriers or feelings of frustration. These barriers that they face can lead to bouts of anxiety, feelings of isolation and even depression. And of course, neurotypical individuals may need mental health support too.

Explore Coping Strategies

Grounding techniques are commonly used to destress when feeling anxious or overwhelmed. They work by getting the brain to focus on things in the present to stop you from stressing about the past and future. They mostly involve some sort of breathing exercise to increase the flow of oxygen and work by helping individuals to calm down.

Create Routine

Mental health issues can be just as bad as physical health problems. They can make children feel demotivated to get out of bed, struggle to sleep and go about their day-to-day life. A routine may help by making sure that they are off their devices before bed and are eating right. Small changes like this can have a big effect and improve their mood.

Ask for Help

Sometimes further help is needed and that’s okay. The techniques mentioned don’t work for everyone and if your child is still struggling it’s important to turn to a doctor as they can offer specialist help. That might be in the form of medication to help them manage better or counselling. 

You may like to visit the following for helpful contacts and resources to support your child.

• NHS – Children and young people’s mental health services
• YoungMinds – Parents A-Z guide to support