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The global pandemic that is children's mental health

childrens mental health find your roar! Feb 10, 2022

7 -13 Feb 2022 is Children's Mental Health week and the theme is "Growing Together".

 

⭕️ Do you know a young person who is struggling, but yet to access help?

⭕️ Do you want to help, but don't know where to start?

 

Here at ROAR! we are passionate about developing and maintaining strong mental health, particularly in our children. 

This week ROAR!'s Marketing & Product Development Manager @Scott Johnson, currently doing a BSc (Hons) in Psychology, shares his research and insights on this utterly important topic - one that we still rarely talk about. 

It's time to normalise the conversation and help society's brilliant young minds unleash their ROAR! 

Over to Scott... 

The global pandemic that is young peoples' mental health

It has been found that approximately 17.4% of 6 to 19 year olds have a mental health disorder but what is more shocking is that a massive 74.2% show symptoms of the effects of poor mental health such as poor sleep routine and issues with eating. 

The NHS ran a survey of the mental health of children and young people in England in 2021, the statistics showed that the mental health of under 23 year olds was not improving but in fact deteriorating. 

The mental health charity Mind found that 55% of 18-24 years olds were not comfortable to speak about their feelings if they were feeling down. 

Are there signs and symptoms to look out for that could early warning signs? 

Generally negative feelings in young people pass quite quickly but its when these negative feeling hang around and in some cases affect family life, that support is needed. These negative feeling can be shown in a variety of ways, poor eating habits, poor sleep routine, lashing out to family members, in more severe cases it includes self harm and eating disorders. 

 It's important to be mindful of the situations these young people may be going through, teen years in young adulthood includes many transitional changes. Physical ones such as transitioning between school to uni or uni to work. There are some biological changes too, this is a time of change due to puberty, a time when young people are finding their identity as well as dealing with body and hormone changes.

I recently listened to a podcast where this fight between depression and anxiety was described, the depression was sucking all the energy out of the young person and the anxiety was making her run around like a headless chicken, these conflicting energies carried on until she was basically burnt out and in serious need of support. She had no energy or desire to do anything, she began to stop caring about anything and her sleep pattern began to deteriorate. 

What can we do you help these young people? We have already established that young people are struggling to talk about their feelings so it is important to make them aware that they will always be listened too and that their feelings are valid. Sometimes these young people could just do with a hug. Allow them to set their own boundaries so they are comfortable enough to open up or allow someone to support them. At the right time it is paramount the young person accesses the right support at the earliest opportunity. 

It has been found there is on average a 10 year gap between symptoms showing poor mental health in young people and the young people accessing help or support. Young Minds provides a parents helpline to offer support and information on young peoples mental health and how you can help and access support if you are in any doubt on how to help a young person in need. 

To access the Young Minds parents helpline click HERE

To listen to the podcast discussing young peoples mental health click HERE

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