Did you know mental health problems affect around one in six children. The symptoms of mental health are depression, anxiety and conduct disorder and are often a direct response to what is happening in the individuals lives.
Alarmingly, seventy-five percent of children and young people who experience mental health problems, are not getting the help they need.
Children’s emotional wellbeing is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health helps them develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and furthermore grow into well-rounded healthy adults.
Most children grow up mentally healthy. Medical research suggests that most children and young people have problems with their mental health today than thirty years ago.
Well, what can children and young people do to keep their mental health in check?
Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include: being good in physical health, eating a balanced diet, getting regular exercise, having time and freedom to play indoors and outdoors, being part of a family and social network that gets along well, going to a school that looks after the wellbeing of all its pupils, taking part in local activities.
Mental health can affect a child’s perception of the world, as well as their self-confidence and belief. Many mental health problems such as bi-polar and depression can make children withdraw from everyday activities therefore affecting their development.
Medical research suggests that most children and young people have problems with their mental health today than thirty years ago.
I spoke to a counselling Psychologist , Dr Adila Mahmood, to find out more on this matter.
Why is mental health important?
“I mean, having good mental health for a young person means that they’re able to grow, develop, and do things generally that are expected for their age and it’s important because when we feel that our mental health is poor, we, you know, it becomes harder to do things and it starts to affect us in many different ways. It might start to be hard to go to school, you know, you might find it a struggle to do things with your family and just generally doing things that matter to you becomes harder when your mental health is poor.”
Why do we sometimes feel sad or anxious?
“Emotions such as happiness, sadness, fear, anger, you know all of the emotions that we feel are very normal and we shouldn’t shy away from them or be ashamed of them. However, I would say that instead of pushing them away, it would be better if we can pay attention to the situations that lead us to feel this way and this can teach us much more about ourselves and it can also teach us to be more resilient and how to cope with the emotions when they arise in the future.”
How do the things we eat affect us and our mental health?
“So the food that we eat produces hormones and chemicals that impacts our mental health, so for example, eating a lot of processed and sugary foods can cause dysregulation in blood sugar and this in turn can cause difficulties in sleeping, it can cause irritability, it can cause mood swings and anxiety. So having a balanced diet, eating regularly, and staying active really supports a healthy brain development and that increases the happy hormones and sort of leads to improved mental health.”
What tips do you have if we’re feeling down?
“I would encourage you to take some moments to reflect on the emotions and think about how you’re feeling as well as what could be causing you to feel this way. Sometimes mental health difficulties can run in families and so its important to think about where your difficulties may be coming from and see if you can speak to your family about this and get support together. The main thing is, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone and, you know, there are people out there who care about you and so reaching out and sharing your difficulties can actually really help you because the emotion that you’re feeling will become less heavy and it will become less of a burden once you’re able to share.”
Where can we find more information about mental health and who can we speak to?
“Speak to your parents, of course your family, you know, those are the people you spend most of your time with so speak to them mostly. If you’re not able to get help through them then speak to your teacher, there’s also a lot of information on the internet, there are a number of websites, so you can access those as well to get some extra support for your mental health.”
What I recommend is less time on electronics and more time reading, though it may sound boring but did you know that reading is found to effectively lower stress levels after just thirty minutes!
Numerous studies have shown that reading as little as six minutes per day can improve your quality of sleep, reduce stress, and sharpen mental acuity.
Reading strengthens the neural circuits and pathways of our brain while lowering heart rate and blood pressure.
There are many ways in which you can look after yourself or others, take it slow day by day, don’t set yourself a packed schedule that would be impossible to complete in a day. If you rather write than talk then keeping a diary is recommended, talk to a person you feel safe and comfortable around. Listen to others without interfering or judging and let them know that you’re there for them.
Remember, you’re not alone.
For more information on this matter, I have provided some links down below for any extra support or guidance you may seek.
Children and young people’s mental health services (CYPMHS) – help for children and young people:
Psychological Wellbeing Service (IAPT):
https://www.cpft.nhs.uk/psychological-wellbeing-service/
For more NHS Services, click here.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.