Getting Help
Getting help for a child or young person who is experiencing mental health difficulties
If you are concerned that a child or young person may be experiencing mental health difficulties, you should see your GP in the first instance. Your GP will consider whether to make a referral to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service, where an assessment can be made by a psychiatrist, a psychologist or other specialist. More information about specific services is available here.
Advice and information is also available from schools, Sure Start, Health Visitors and voluntary sector organisations.
How you can help
Working with or raising children and young people can be challenging. Here are some tips that may help:
Try to:
- Be well informed
- Teach them to:
- Recognise and name emotions
- Manage their anger
- Resolve conflict
- Be assertive
- Negotiate
- Compromise
- Be honest and direct
- Offer trust and respect
- Keep communication lines open – check out what you think you know.
- Listen and feedback what you are hearing
- Show your affection and concern
- Keep a positive outlook
- Reassure them you will love/care for them no matter what happens, even though you may disapprove of their behaviour.
- Persist
- Appreciate the different pressures that are on young people today
Try not to:
- Over-react
- Reject, criticise blame or threaten
- Make threats/promises you can’t keep
- Invade a young person’s privacy
- Jump to conclusions
- Withhold affection or reassurance
- Move the goalposts/boundaries
- Act superior
- Make yourself unavailable
- Take all the blame yourself
- Assume your child/you are the only ones going through this.
- Judge, blame or condemn
Find out more
For Parents/Carers/Adults
Children first for health – The Children First interactive guide to life and health information for families children and young people of all ages.
Royal College of Psychiatrists – Site containing resources on a wide range of information for young people and parents about mental health issues
MIND – Information resource - explores key issues relating to the mental health of children and young people.
Mind: Understanding Childhood Distress Leaflet
Mental Health Care – from the Institute of Psychiatry. Contains plenty of information about supporting young people's mental health.
Parentline Plus - works to offer help and support through an innovative range of free, flexible, responsive services - shaped by parents for parents.
YoungMinds Parents Information Service - provides information and advice for any adult with concerns about the mental health of a child or young person.
For Children and Young People
Childline - Information and advice on a wide range of issues.
Youth2Youth – Youth2Youth is a charity; they provide a helpline service for young people, which is run by young people.
Kidscape - Information and support for young people being bullied or at risk of child abuse.
Teenage Health Freak – Informative and interesting health information aimed specifically at teenagers.
Get Connected - Free confidential helpline giving young people in difficult situations emotional support and access to the help they're looking for.
Copecaredeal.org – Mental Health site for teens containing information on assessing personal strengths, learning to recognise warning signs, and facts about mental health problems.
Young Minds – Website containing information about mental health issues.
It’s not your fault – Practical information for children, young people and parents going through a family break-up