Parent and Carers Support Mental Health and Well- Being

It is important to understand that we all have good days and bad days, ups and downs and that is part of life. It ensures we are able to be resilient and work through the bad to then appreciate and enjoy the good. As parents and cares we recognise these times and support our children through them. To be able to understand low mood or depression is important so we can look out for signs which are not normal. Feeling sad is a normal reaction; everyone feels low or down at times and children and young people (just like adults) can be upset by many different things that might occur. But if the feeling is more than just sad or it persists for a longer time, then everyday sadness or low mood may move into something more serious such as depression. Children and young people may see themselves and the future in a negative way, feel hopeless, or no longer feel or seem themselves.
 

Identifying the signs

Symptoms can include:

• being moody and irritable
• not being interested in things they used to enjoy
• not wanting to go to school or go out
• often feeling tired or exhausted
• becoming withdrawn and isolating self from others
• feeling unhappy and miserable or becoming tearful
• sleep problems or sleeping a lot
• changes in appetite
• being self-critical
• feeling hopeless and/or worthless

As parents and carers, it can be hard to know whether your child’s feelings and behaviour are normal or becoming a problem.

This leaflet was developed by the Anna Freud Centre's child mental health experts and features an introduction form the Centre's Chief Executive, Professor Peter Fonagy.

It provides simple advice and guidance to parents and carers about how to make conversations about their child's feelings part of everyday conversation.

Support leaflets

Aimed at 11 and 12 year olds

https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/advice-for-parents-and-carers-talking-mental-health-with-young-people-at-secondary-school/

Aimed at 11 to 16 year olds

This guide will help parents and carers understand the importance of good mental health, and how they can support their child.

https://www.mentallyhealthyschools.org.uk/resources/young-minds-matter-guide-to-caring-for-the-mental-wellbeing-of-a-child/

Parent and Carers Self Care 

For many parents and carers, finding time for yourself can be a challenge as you juggle family and relationships with your home and work life. This can be especially true if you are supporting a child or young person with their mental health.

With the practicalities of day-to-day life, it can be easy to forget to look after your own wellbeing needs, as well as those of your children, which can lead to feelings of stress or being overwhelmed.  

Factoring in regular time or activities for yourself will hopefully allow you to enjoy the good moments in life more and to find strength during difficult times.

The following advice about the importance of self-care has been created with the Centre’s Parent Champions through the Anna Freud Centre

 https://www.annafreud.org/resources/family-wellbeing/self-care-for-parents-and-carers/

For information on specific strategies which you could try, either on your own or as a family, please view

self-care resource for On My Mind.