Children and young people's mental health

Listen to and talk to your son/daughter. Help and encourage them to get their lives together. Depression cannot just be switched off, it takes time and understanding to overcome it. Try to get them to contact useful organisations they can talk to in private.

Visit our mental health support page for services and resources.

Listen to and talk to your teenager. Help and encourage them to get their lives together. Depression cannot just be switched off. It takes time and understanding to overcome it. Try to get them to contact useful organisations they can talk to in private.

A supportive and understanding family means your child may feel more able to talk to you about any problems, rather than bottling them up. Chat about their interests, hobbies, friends and schoolwork so they feel that you understand the different parts of their lives.

The teenage years are a difficult time and young people have a lot to deal with physically, mentally and emotionally. While every young person feels highs and lows, for some, about four or five in every hundred, this turns into depression.

Young people are more vulnerable and sensitive to what is happening to them and are less experienced at being able to deal with problems and anxieties.

Depression can be started by a number of things, such as:

• Parents divorcing or separating
• Feeling ignored and unloved
• Not being listened to
• Losing friends
• Changing school or moving home
• Worries about their looks, sexuality, health, exams or abuse

What may seem like small problems or worries to an older person can seem like a much bigger problem to a young person.

Boys are more likely to get depressed than girls, and suffer from serious mental ill health.

While young people can sometimes seem unhappy and quiet, you may feel that this is more than just a phase. Signs may include:

• Being unable to sleep
• Eating too much or too little
• Mood swings
• Staying in their bedroom all day
• Giving up interests and hobbies
• Crying
• Avoiding friends and family
• Finding it hard to do their schoolwork
• Not caring what they look like
• Talking about death or having suicidal thoughts

To escape from their feelings or let them out in the only way they know how young people may start taking drugs or drinking, not going to school, becoming violent or carrying out crimes such as shoplifting.

If your teenager is suffering from depression they need help. Do not ignore their worries and take any talk of suicide seriously. You need to listen, try to understand what they are going through and get professional help if you need to.

Get them to talk about their worries. If they do not feel they can talk to you, there are a number of help lines they can contact. If you are concerned, help them to see their doctor or school nurse. They may want you to come with them or they may prefer to go alone. Remember, they will still need your support. The doctor can discuss ways to help, often a referral to a trained therapist or counsellor.

Kooth

Kooth.com provides a confidential online counselling and emotional wellbeing support service for young people aged 11-25 years. This is provided by a professional team of qualified counsellors, including the evenings and weekends.

No Limits

No Limits offers free and confidential information, advice, counselling, advocacy and support to children and young people under the age of 26 in Southampton and Hampshire. Young people can come to No Limits for free support on a wide range of issues including housing, homelessness, debt, employment, relationships, sexual health, mental health and substance misuse.

Youth Options

Youth Options offers individual and group support. They will support young people to explore the problems they are facing.

Yellow Door

Yellow Door offers a wide range of specialist support for young people who have been affected by domestic abuse, sexual violence/abuse or other forms of interpersonal harm.

Saints Foundation

Saints Foundation youth engagement programme is aimed at young people who are between 8-18 years old. The programme offers the opportunity to play sport whilst socialising with friends.

Re:minds

Re:minds is a parent-led organisation who support parents and carers whose children have Autism, ADHD and/or mental health issues. They provide a range of groups, provide advice and have a book and sensory lending library.

SO:Linked

SO:Linked allows you to search for services/groups within the city to support your mental health and emotional wellbeing either directly or through fun activities.

Family Lives (Parentline Plus)

Family Lives (Parentline Plus) is a 24/7 helpline for family issues.

SANE

SANE is a mental health charity aiming to raise awareness and provide emotional support.

Solent Mind

Solent Mind is a charity supporting people with mental health issues in the South of England.

Young Minds

Young Minds offers a website with advice and support about mental health issues.

ChildLine

ChildLine provides a 24/7 helpline for young people, which you can call on 0800 1111.

Further information and resources

Please visit our mental health support page for more information and resources.