Category: Mental Health

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Mental Health

Worry Time

Using Worry Time to Help Children & Young Adults Manage Anxiety and Stress

Don’t worry about this, don’t worry about that, don’t be silly there’s nothing to worry about. How many times have you heard this or said this?

We all worry about things, and worry has a really important function in our brains. Our worries are important.

We might worry about an exam or how we look and worrying can lead to problem solving. We might make sure we revise properly or make sure our hair is neat and clothes are tidy. So worry can help to calm the brain.

Sometimes though, we can over worry about a problem and this is when worry becomes problematic.

Worry happens in the mind. It is the cognitive part of anxiety. Stress happens in the body and anxiety happens in both the mind and body and they are all linked. If we can help people, and especially young people, to effectively manage their worries it will have a really big impact on their ability to positively manage stress and anxiety for the rest of their lives.

What is Worry Time?

Worry time is a very simple technique where instead of letting worries take over your whole day, you write your worries down when they pop up and then schedule time in the day to focus on them. That way you can stay present and know that there’s a time and space where you can manage your worries later. It’s important that this space is neutral and definitely not a bedroom as then that can then become associated with worry.

How to Use Worry Time with Young People

You can schedule a regular time every day for this, but with my kids, I just tell them if you have any worries during the day, write them down and try to put them aside if you can and focus on something else. When you get home tell me ‘Daddy can we have some worry time?’ And then we’ll have a special time together to sort them out. Even just something as simple as this can be a nice way of letting a young person know that they are important, their worries are important, that you care about both them and their worries and there is help.

Resources to Help With Worry

The NHS have an excellent page on tackling your worries with really good resources on worry time, including the worry tree, how to reframe your thoughts and mindful breathing 

Young Minds have a worry box for primary aged children (but can also be useful for teenagers) which is a physical box you can decorate where young people can write their worries down and then post them into the box. This way they can have a physical way of getting rid of their worries which is a really tangible way they can feel they don’t have to carry them around with them. It can help them to feel safer as it is holding their thoughts and shows that thoughts are just thoughts. 

Along with a worry box some children might want to make another box where they can keep positive thoughts where they can write down and keep their happy things.

A worry box is similar to a self soothing box which is also an excellent way to manage anxiety.

Oxford Camhs has a really good downloadable worry time sheet which details worry time and includes the worry tree. I really like the way they go into detail about problem solving. Getting you to think about 5 possible solutions, picking one and then taking action on it. 

For those working with younger children ELSA support has a free downloadable worry tree which is really nice.

Worry dolls (which originate from Guatemala) can be very useful. Your child tells the doll their worry and then the doll takes that worry and then looks after it for them. There are often 5 or 6 of these so if the child has several worries a different doll can hold each of them. This then allows the child to focus on other things such as sleep or play etc.

Worry eaters can also be useful and work in a similar way, the child writes down their worry and pops it into the worry eaters mouth. With both of these, it’s important the child says their worry out loud so the adult knows what’s worrying the child.

You don’t have to buy worry dolls or worry eaters (sometimes called worry monsters) although you can. Why not combine art with mindfulness and make your own with the young person you’re supporting?

Do worry about this, do worry about that, it’s ok to worry about things but do learn to manage your worries, they don’t have to take over your life.

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Mental Health

H.A.L.T.

Hungry Angry Lonely Tired.

Being hungry, angry, lonely and tired are four ‘risk states’ that affect our wellbeing.

I first came across this many years ago and it is one of the tools that has enabled me to be successful in my recovery – 21 years completely clean, 22 from alcohol, with no relapses.

Often when we have distressing or uncomfortable feelings, we may reach for alcohol or other substances, we may become angry and act aggressively towards people, overeat, shop or engage in other self-harming behaviours to manage these feelings. And this leads us ultimately to more disharmony.

And so, any time you experience feelings which make you feel vulnerable or unsafe, think HALT. and if you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired sort it out before you act out on those distressing thoughts/feelings.

Hungry

Having negative thoughts, low mood or anxious? Have you eaten anything?

If not then eat something before you act on those thoughts and then see how you feel after. 

We all know that when you’re hungry your mind just isn’t right and how eating a good meal can really increase feelings of wellbeing. When your blood sugar level drops, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline are released. There’s tons of evidence out there that shows how hunger can negatively affect your mood. It should be noted though, that for many it’s not as simple as ‘just eat something’. For example, if you are experiencing anxiety or depression you may not feel like eating even if you haven’t eaten for some time. Some medications such as antidepressants can also affect your appetite and make you feel more or less hungry. And those with disordered eating and problem relationships around food have further barriers to face. In a recent poll by Yfoods 86 percent of office workers admitted to skipping breakfast for sugary snacks  and a newly released YouGov poll shows that 14% of all Britons had to skip meals in the last 12 months because they could not afford to eat, – and one in nine Britons (11%) had to skip a meal in the three months prior to the survey. Among working Britons these figures are similar, at 17% and 13% respectively.

ANGRY

Are you angry and if so what about? 

Anger is there to tell us we need to take action to put something right, so use the strength and energy that anger gives you to resolve it.

Identify your triggers: what’s causing your anger, what steps can you take and can you avoid or respond differently to them?.

Can you calmly and assertively communicate your feelings instead of bottling things up?

If you have distressing thoughts or feelings the only way to get them out of your head is to talk about them or write them down, so speak to someone and/or write it down.

Be kind to yourself, know that you need space and time and try to not be self critical.

Do some exercise, leave the room and go for a walk and try to practise some regular physical activity.  Get a pillow and punch the hell out of it, go to a quiet room and scream for a minute or two, whatever works for you, but get it out.

LONELY

Social isolation shares the same neurological pathway as physical pain

Loneliness is painful.

And let’s be clear you can be in a room full of people all day every day, have a loving family/friends and still feel lonely.

Social isolation, exclusion, and loss are some of the most “painful” things that we experience (see my blog on loneliness here) and the threats of social disconnection are processed by some of the same neural structures that process basic threats to survival.

There is literally an overlap in the neural circuitry responsible for both physical and emotional pain. Because of this many of us will go to great lengths to avoid situations that may bring about experiences of social isolation and in doing so actually increase social isolation.

Find someone to talk to, connect with people. You don’t have to be suicidal to call samaritans and if you don’t feel like talking there are excellent TXT services like SHOUT.

TIRED?

Try counselling. It can help if you have been experiencing difficulties emotionally, psychologically or socially, give it a try.

Sleep deprivation is a form of torture.

Many of us don’t get enough sleep because of children, work commitments, noisy environments such as loud neighbours or street noise and poor mattresses etc etc. But there are some things you can do to improve your sleep hygiene such as creating healthy bedtime routines such as meditation before bedtime and putting a curfew on electronic devices, sugar and caffeine. In the short term you can throw a blanket over your head and take 30 minutes on the sofa or listen to a guided relaxations suchs as a yoga nidra specially designed to help you sleep.

A few minutes rest can be enough to recharge and give you a different perspective.

Then see if you still have these uncomfortable feelings or urges to use substances/alcohol.

So if you’re one, a combination of or all of these things, sort it out before you act out on distressing feelings and you may well find out these feelings have passed once you do.

Download my PDF format H.A.L.T. poster and share with friends/family/colleagues or put it up in your home and/or place of work

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Mental Health

Barriers To Self Care


Who’s wellbeing comes first?
Is it yours, your clients, your family or friends?

Most of us have heard the oxygen mask analogy – put your own mask on first or you can’t effectively help others. But, in reality is it that easy? For many of us it’s not.

My parents grew up in the second world war. I grew up very much in a family with a stiff upper lip, dust yourself off and get on with it attitude. I’m not criticizing this. It was how my parents dealt with the massive amount of trauma they, their parents and grandparents faced. Often with no support whatsoever.

And so I have had to learn self care and I’m happy to say that nowadays I have excellent self care skills. I’ve developed these strategies through years of struggling with my own mental and physical health. I’ve learnt these from various treatment programs, both NHS and private. From self study, formal education, peer support, and by somehow finding the discipline to put these things into regular practice. Self care is often a case of trial and error, finding out what works and what doesn’t work for you.

Self care differs from person to person and changes over time. The more you practice self care the more tools you have. So when one strategy doesn’t work, you automatically reach for another one without even thinking.

Even though I know that I have to put my mask on, the reality is that I will always put the needs of my wife and kids first and give myself just enough to get by. Saying that though, I still think I’m a lot better than most at putting self care into practice.

Some barriers to self care

Gender: (yes I’m generalising here)
There can sometimes be a blokey, macho, too hard or too cool to look after myself, man thing. Personally, I’ve always felt blessed that I have never felt self conscious walking into a yoga class full of women or being able to receive a massage.

A woman’s role is often seen as that of the caregiver. Always looking after everyone else and making sure others needs are met, whilst their own are not.

Structural barriers:
Self care can be expensive. It can be time consuming. So there are also financial barriers which make self care much more difficult for some than others. If you are working multiple jobs, all zero hour contracts with no sick or holiday pay, and still not able to meet your financial obligations, how can you justify the expense of going for a swim, getting your hair cut or some time off work?

Diet:
I had a conversation with someone the other day who said they don’t buy it that it’s cheaper to buy junk food than healthy food, as you can get really cheap fresh food from Aldi, Lidl and market stalls. I gently reminded them that may be true, but you have to be in the right frame of mind to be able to prepare fresh ingredients and cook them. When you’re not feeling your best, sometimes you don’t have the energy, or maybe even feel you’re worth the effort of cooking yourself a home cooked meal for. Even just living alone, sometimes is enough to make cooking a mental challenge. It’s just much quicker and easier to pop something in the microwave or get something delivered.

Culture/Community:
Looking after yourself can also be affected by those around you. If, for example, your partner does not look after themselves and you want to, they might feel that you’re being self indulgent or you might feel guilt yourself. Adopting a healthy diet may be made that much harder if you’re living with someone who just wants to eat junk food. Imagine then how much harder it would be if you want to quit alcohol or drugs and you’re around people who are always using.

Deanna Zandt has written an excellent piece on “The Complexities of Self Care“. She does an excellent job of breaking this down into:

  • Self soothing – activities which provide comfort/distraction in difficult times.
  • Self-care – activities that help you find meaning, and that support your growth & groundedness
  • Community care – workarounds for systems that don’t inherently support care (i.e. capitalism!)
  • Structural care – systems that support community care, self-care AND self-soothing

It’s clear that self care is not as simple as it sounds. And more often than not, we need a fair amount of help in order to do this.

To quote Deanna,

“No single person can do all the kinds of care that are needed all the time; we each can play a role in supporting each other in different ways, though. Now, go forth and care for each other — and yourself.“

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Mental Health

Adverse Childhood Experiences

Adverse Childhood Experience

The experiences we have in childhood affect how we cope with life as an adult. A nurturing and protective environment growing up gives us the skills and confidence to make healthy choices and cope with the challenges that come our way. But having adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can have the opposite effect. They increase the risk of physical and mental health problems. 1 in 3 diagnosed mental health conditions in adulthood directly relate to ACEs.

What is an Adverse Childhood Experience?

An Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) is a stressful or traumatic event which happens in childhood and can negatively affect people into adulthood.

ACEs can include the following:

  • Verbal abuse
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Physical neglect
  • Emotional Abuse – emotional abuse can be many things, including: ridiculing, belittling, blaming, isolating, restricting social interactions, shouting, threatening, ignoring and rejecting
  • Parental separation
  • Domestic violence – there are strong links between domestic violence and child abuse
  • Mental ill health
  • Alcohol or drug misuse

This powerful video illustrates the impact ACEs can have.

What are the impact of ACEs?

ACEs can take a huge toll on all aspects of wellbeing. Children are less able to manage emotions, form relationships and learn effectively. They may develop communication and behaviour problems. These problems impact into adulthood.

ACEs increase the risk of developing health-harming behaviours. Compared with people with no ACEs, people with four or more ACEs are:

  • 2 times more likely to binge drink and have a poor diet
  • 3 times more likely to be a smoker
  • 5 times more likely to have had sex while under 16
  • 6 times more likely to have had or caused an unplanned teenage pregnancy
  • 7 times more likely to have been involved in violence in the last year
  • 11 times more likely to have used heroin/crack or been incarcerated
How common are ACEs in the UK?

ACEs are common. In a 2014 UK study on ACEs, 47% of people experienced at least one ACE with 9% of the population having 4+ ACES (Bellis et al, 2014)

ACEs occur across society although they are far more likely to occur in isolated, poor or deprived circumstances. Social inequalities amplify the effect of ACEs and so structural inequalities need to be addressed for strategies to help combat them effectively to work. For example, low family income can be a stronger predictor of poor physical health than many of the ACE categories.

Becoming ACE aware

The FrameWorks Institute conducted research into how to increase public understanding of adverse childhood experiences.

They identified a number of communication challenges that need to be overcome:

  • help people to think beyond individual-level causes of maltreatment and adversity to see the importance of societal-level solutions
  • deepen understandings of cycles of maltreatment
  • expand people’s understanding of the effects of poverty to include other social drivers
  • help people see that addressing child maltreatment and reducing early adverse experiences is possible.
Useful resources for further learning

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Mental Health

Yoga for Stress

yoga for stress

I’ve worked as a yoga teacher in the field of mental health for almost 20 years.  In that time I have taught yoga for mental health in the NHS, for mental health charities and also for some of the worlds leading mental health and addiction services.

One of the best ways of improving someone’s mental wellbeing is by helping them to manage stress.

Stress is something that we all have and actually need.  It drives us to overcome obstacles and motivates us to achieve.  However, too much stress over long periods of time can have a huge effect on us physically, mentally, emotionally and socially.

Stress is a predictor and risk factor for most common mental health conditions and also suicide.

We get used to stress.  We have so many demands, so many responsibilities, things that drain our resources and time.  Stress slowly creeps up on us, it builds and builds until we find ourselves overwhelmed.  In my experience people often don’t acknowledge just how much stress they have to deal with day to day.

The good news is there are many ways to practically manage stress and yoga is one of the best.

So how can we use yoga to help us manage stress?

Conscious breathing can take us from a state of stress and anxiety to relaxation and calm.

At times of stress chemicals in your brain are released and we enter the fight, flight, freeze part of our autonomic nervous system (ANS) called the sympathetic nervous system (SNS).

When this happens stress hormones are released, your heart rate increases, your pupils dilate, blood is taken from your gastrointestinal system and directed to your skeletal muscles.  In short it prepares you to respond to imminent danger.

The parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) is the relaxation response.  Rest, digest, feed and breed – nice things, and the PNS is related to the exhale.

So, one of the simplest and most effective ways to go from this state of heightened arousal to a state of relaxation is to change the breath.

The next time you find yourself stressed out, take your focus to your breath, count the length of your inhale and exhale and then simply inhale slightly more than you already are and make the exhale slightly longer than the inhale.  It’s very important that you don’t fight with your breath.  Extend the breath but keep it satisfying.  If you find yourself straining or gasping you’re doing too much, so slow down and take your time.

You can learn more about stress and how to manage it on the Youth and Adult Mental Health First Aid and Mental Health Aware Courses.

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Mental Health

Loneliness Awareness Week

loneliness

It’s Loneliness Awareness Week 2022, a campaign run by Marmalade Trust.

Loneliness affects us all from time to time and some people are naturally happy with their own company and find that ‘alone’ time is their way to recharge.  For others, being alone and isolated is a terribly worrying and uncomfortable experience.

What is loneliness?

Loneliness is not a mental health condition. It’s the emotional impact of our social needs not being met.  You can have lots of friends, work colleagues, social media followers, be in a room full of people eager to talk with you and still be lonely.  It’s about meaningful connection.

When we are lonely we may feel unsafe, un-cared for and unloved and this has wider negative implications on all aspects of our health and wellbeing.  Loneliness can lead to anxiety, depression and poor self-care.  The effects of loneliness are often compared to smoking or obesity.

A survey conducted in 2019 of more than 2,000 UK adults found that:

  • Nearly nine in ten (88%) Britons aged from 18 to 24 said they experience loneliness to some degree with a quarter (24%) suffering often and 7% saying they are lonely all of the time.
  • In comparison, 70% of those aged over 55 also say they can be lonely to some extent, however, only 7% are lonely often and just 2% say they are lonely all the time1.

The pandemic further increased loneliness, with young people reporting a negative impact by not being able to see their friends and we know that social interaction is vital for young people.

Scientific reviews have established that loneliness is associated with future mental health problems with depression being the most strongly linked and also anxiety.  The duration of loneliness seems to be the biggest factor in determining symptoms of poor mental health rather than the intensity of the loneliness felt.   

Loneliness in children

Although though we’re out of lockdown, even for me personally things I used to take for granted, such as going shopping or to a gig feel like some big adventure.  Children especially need time to rebuild connections so we won’t know the full impact the pandemic has had for years to come.

The symptoms seem to be different for boys and girls with depression most strongly associated with girls2 and social anxiety in boys3.

In previous studies young people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds seem to be adversely affected.  This could be because of not being able to do things their friends are doing, such as going out to the cinema or having the latest video game or trainers.  The Children’s Society 2019 Loneliness in Childhood Report looked further into the links between household income and loneliness.  Rather than just focussing on poverty they looked at all incomes and found that there was a similar pattern in not just low but also very high income households. The report highlights the importance young people place on “fitting in”. It says “Income inequality can be experienced in both subtle and explicit ways by both wealthy and poorer children”.

Social media can also cause problems with young people often feeling left out/isolated or not good enough.  But it can also have a positive effect. Many people are able to stay connected with friends when gaming, through chats or online wellbeing communities such as Kooth.

So what can we do?

If you suspect someone is lonely or isolated, reach out to them, say hello and make a connection.

Try a sport, do some yoga, maybe a hobby or find a peer support group, join a union or professional association. Reach out to loved ones, an old friend you’ve lost touch with or spark up a conversation with a stranger. Try not to get upset and take it personally if it doesn’t go so well. Try again and just remember communication is a two way thing.

As a mental health first aider, one of the most important things we can do is encourage support from family, friends and community

Human connection is so important.

Further resources

Young Minds

British Red Cross

Age UK

References
  1. Ibbetson, C. Young Britons are the most lonely. https://yougov.co.uk/topics/relationships/articles-reports/2019/10/03/yo….
  2. Liu, H., Zhang, M., Yang, Q. & Yu, B. Gender differences in the influence of social isolation and loneliness on depressive symptoms in college students : a longitudinal study. Soc. Psychiatry Psychiatr. Epidemiol. (2020) doi:10.1007/s00127-019-01726-6.
  3. Mak, Hio Wa, Gregory M. Fosco, M. E. F. The Role of Family for Youth Friendships: Examining a Social Anxiety Mechanism. J Youth Adolesc. 47, 306–320 (2019).

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Mental Health

Money Worries and Mental Health

money and mental health

We are living in such turbulent times. So many things have happened which have put a strain on our pockets.  Years of poor government, benefit cuts, tax rises, Brexit, the pandemic, unaffordable housing, rising fuel costs, the cost of living crisis.  And now the war in Ukraine, making everything even more expensive.

Debt stress

Do you feel anxious when thinking about money?  Maybe you are having sleepless nights?  Are you eating less/overeating?  Do you feel isolated, sad, withdrawn and maybe even completely overwhelmed by financial worries?

If so, then you could be suffering from debt stress.  

Financial hardship is a major cause and risk factor for mental ill health.  As you sink into financial difficulties your mental health suffers.  And then you feel less able to deal with these financial matters.  And then this can spiral into chaos.  

I know, I’ve been there.  I left my job in the City due to poor mental and physical health.  Once my statutory sick pay ran out, I found myself on benefits.  Creditors were chasing payments I could no longer make and I ended up in a big mess which had a huge impact on my mental health for years to come.  This could all have been avoided with financial help which my bank just didn’t give.

Where to get help

There are lots of charities out there which can help you with debt, even before you get to the crisis stage.  Maybe with all these rising costs, you’re just worried about how you’re going to meet your payments in the near future?  If so you should really start to get some advice now.

There are many charities that can help and Mental Health UK (the sister charity to Rethink Mental Illness) has lots of great advice on mental health and money, from benefits to paying for mental health care.  I really like their budget planner.

The Money Advice Trust run the National Debt Line where you can get help to find solutions to your debt problems.

Step Change are a national charity who do great work and are fully committed to helping those in debt and who may be suffering with poor mental health. Highly recommended!

You can’t go wrong with the good old CAB (Citizens Advice Bureau).   

If you’re having problems with housing, Shelter are great.  I’ve used them recently and saved myself a few hundred pounds in solicitors fee’s (and sleepless nights).

Martin Lewis’s Money and Mental Health Policy Institute are doing great work aiming to change policy and help break the link between financial and mental health problems.

I also really like Money Nerd, lots of great tips and advice on a range of things.

If you’re suffering with poor mental health you should always seek professional help so go and see your GP. If however the source of your poor mental health is financial worries, you need to seek professional financial advice. The main thing is don’t be afraid to ask, there’s no shame and help is there.

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Mental Health

Talking to Young People About Their Mental Health

It’s really important to normalise conversations about mental health with our children and delegates on our Youth MHFA courses often ask:

“How do I talk to young people about their mental health?”

“What language can I use and how can I get them to open up in the first place?”  

These are really good questions and there is no one simple answer but here are a few things to keep in mind.

Time the conversation

Nobody likes to see their child upset and it’s natural to want to dive in and try to fix it.  But sitting down with them and directly asking them about their feelings may cause further distress.  Children don’t always understand what’s happening to them and they may not have the language to describe their feelings, making it difficult for them to open up.  

One thing you can try is doing a fun activity with them and then start to talk about their feelings.  This may be colouring or lego with younger children, and maybe a physical activity such as a kick about or cooking a meal with older kids.  This takes the pressure off and can help start the conversation.

Use appropriate language

Always use kind and respectful language.  Don’t let your own stress colour the conversation. Think about what you’re saying and how you would feel if another adult said that to you.

Younger children probably won’t know what anxiety is though they may describe it as a tummy ache or my back hurts.  Use very simple sentences and age appropriate language.  You could say “ok, so on a scale of 1-10, ten is when you’re really, really happy and 1 is when you’re really, really sad, where are you now?”  Then you can maybe find out what are the things making them sad and what can we do to make them happier.

Not all children like to talk, but the conversation doesn’t have to be verbal.  You could try writing notes, email or text.

And if they really don’t want to talk to you, help them find someone else they can talk to.

Encourage peer support

Self-esteem is really important for good mental health so involving them and empowering them in any decisions about their wellbeing is a great thing to do.  In adolescence, young people become more withdrawn from their parents.  It’s just part of growing up.  Kids need to make their own decisions and their peers become the most important people.

Encouraging peer support therefore can be really useful.  People of their own age who may be experiencing similar things will be able to communicate using their own language.  Let’s face it, it doesn’t matter how ‘hip’ or ‘cool’ you were when you were younger you’re a dinosaur to a teenager.

Abbie Mitchell, peer mentoring manager at Fitzrovia Youth In Action says, “This program really brings conversations about mental health and looking out for each other to life for young people.  When discussions are had between youth of a similar age, using their language, vocabulary and creativity, there is something really special about the peer support that can take place.  Young people listening to each other, relating to one another and offering empathy in a designated safe and supportive space can really make a difference to how they talk about mental health, normalising conversations about it and also supporting them to feel able to reach out and get professional help if needed.”

Resources

Fitzrovia Youth In Action run peer mentoring, education and support programs which help normalise talking about poor mental health and empower young people to be able to take action, helping others and helping themselves.

Kooth is a fantastic online counselling and self-help app which young people find a really useful source of support.

Being a parent is a wonderful thing but also a stressful experience in itself, the NSPCC are there to support parents as well as children.

Young Minds parent helpline is specifically to help parents and is a fantastic resource too.

Learn more about supporting children’s mental health.

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Mental Health

The Children’s Mental Health Crisis

children's mental health

Children’s mental health is in sharp decline.  The number of children likely to have a mental health problem has risen by 50% in the last three years from one in nine to one in six.  That’s five children in every classroom.

Not surprisingly, the pandemic has taken its toll on young people.  And an estimated quarter of a million children have struggled with the loss of their usual support mechanisms.  Not being able to see friends and family caused the most distress.

But even before the pandemic, there has been a worrying downward trend in children’s happiness.  The latest Good Childhood Report by the Children’s Society reported that an estimated 306,000 10-15 year olds in the UK are unhappy.  That’s over 76% more than ten years ago.  School life and worrying about appearance caused the most unhappiness. 

The Millennium Cohort Study (MCS) follows the health and wellbeing of people born around the turn of the century.  The latest sweep of the MCS found that one in four 17 year olds had self-harmed in the last year and 7% had attempted suicide.  With numbers for young people attracted to the same or both genders much higher at 51% for self-harm and 19% for attempted suicide.

How can we support children’s mental health?

Half of all mental health problems manifest by the age of 14 and three quarters by age 18.  Early support is vital, but 75% of the young people who need help don’t get it.  Waiting lists for NHS treatments are long and 34% of those referred are not accepted for treatment as their condition is not considered severe enough.  But children should not have to wait until they are at crisis point to receive help.

Things you can do:

  • If you are a parent or carer worried about a child, talk to them, listen to them and let them know you can work through any issues together.   If they don’t want to talk, try text or email.
  • Speak to your GP for advice.
  • Write to your MP and support the Young Minds Fund the Hubs campaign to increase funding for early mental health and wellbeing hubs for young people.
  • Attend a Youth Mental Health First Aid course and learn more about supporting children’s mental health.
  • Supporting someone struggling with mental health is hard, so make sure you look after yourself.  Take some time every day to do something just for you. 

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Mental Health

Mental Health at Work: Millennials and Generation Z

mental health at work

It may not come as much of a surprise that in a recent report by Deloitte on mental health at work, 48% of Millennials (born 1981-1996) and Generation Z (born 1997-2012) reported that they have felt more stressed since the start of the pandemic.  For many of us this has been a really difficult time.

Worryingly, despite more discussion about mental health in the media in the last 18 months, 60% have not felt able to tell their employers about their increase in stress or anxiety.  Which means that even among the younger workforce, mental health stigma endures.

31% of Millennials and 35% of Gen Zs have taken time off work for mental health reasons. But astonishingly 49% and 47% (respectively) of these have given their employer a different reason for their absence.  And for those who have never requested time off for mental health reasons, 46% and 51% of them said that they would not give their employer the real reason if they did. 

When you look at the figures above, it’s not surprising that one in four Millennials and Gen Zs feel that their employer is poor when it comes to supporting workers to be their true selves.  And nearly four in ten gave their employers a poor grade when it comes to supporting mental health during the pandemic. 

Fear of discrimination due to mental ill health in the workplace is still rife. With 50% of millennials and 53% of Gen Zs believing that this frequently happens.

Prioritising Mental Health at Work

As employees, socially conscious young people are demanding their concerns around mental health and inequality are addressed in the workplace.  In another recent report from The Purpose Pulse, Gen Z and Millennials are clear on diversity and inclusivity which includes mental health. 69% (almost 7 in 10) want employers to encourage them to bring their whole self to work.

Being authentic and being able to show or be your whole self includes being able to discuss concerns about mental health with your employer.  Psychological safety is one of five key elements that allow a team to excel.  Google’s Aristotle study found that when people feel safe and connected they work better together. 

The research also showed that 66% (two thirds) want to work for an organisation that actively promotes diversity and inclusion.

There are set to be rewards for brands that have a clear social purpose and a good record on workers rights.  Over two thirds of young people (68%) are looking to buy from brands that treat their employees well. With 61% saying a brand having a clear social purpose is important in their purchasing decisions. 

Just over two fifths (43%) of Millennials and Gen Z in the UK have boycotted a company over the past 12 months because they don’t agree with their values or behaviour. This is an increase of 9% from last year.

Clearly more needs to be done to end the stigma around mental ill health.  Employers must now make mental health a priority to ensure that workers can be their whole self and to help strike a better work-life balance.

The rewards for doing this are clear.  Not only a happier, healthier and more productive work force but also a more positive image for customers too.