Mental Health
The World Health Organisation defines health as:
"A state of (complete) physical, mental and social wellbeing and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."
Mental health is:
"The emotional and spiritual resilience which allows us to enjoy life and survive pain, disappointment and sadness. It is a positive sense of wellbeing and an underlying belief in our own, and others dignity and worth."
"Mental health influences how we think and feel about ourselves and others and how we interpret events. It affects our capacity to learn, to communicate and to form, sustain and to end relationships. It also influences our ability to cope with change, transition and life events: having a baby, moving house, experiencing bereavement.
in 2004 one in ten (10%) children aged 5-16 had a clinically diagnosed mental disorder, 4% had an emotional disorder (anxiety or depression), 6% had a conduct disorder, 2% had a hyperkinetic disorder, and 1% has a less common disorder. Some children (2%) had more than one type of disorder.
The 1999 Mental Health Foundation report, Bright Futures, defined children who are mentally healthy as able to:
-Develop psychologically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually
-Initiate, develop and sustain mutually satisfying personal relationships
-Use and enjoy solitude
-Become aware of others and empathise with them
-Play and learn
-Develop a sense of right and wrong: and
-Resolve (face) issues and setbacks and learn from them.
Talking to children about feelings
If you're worried about a child, encouraging them to talk can be very helpful, whether you're a parent, grandparent, friend or teacher.
If you think a child you know has a problem, it can be hard to know how to start talking to them about it.
When there are problems at home, such as parents fighting, divorce or a death in the family, children can become withdrawn and upset.
Being able to talk to someone other than a parent is sometimes very helpful for children. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, teachers or even a counsellor can all offer support.
Look for clues in their play
Children express themselves through play as well as words. You can learn a lot about how they're feeling by simply spending time with them and watching them play.
Stressed and upset children often play fighting games with their toys. Comment on this by saying, "There are a lot of fights going on" or "It seems pretty frightening". This can help to get them talking about what's bothering them.
Even if you do not start a conversation, you'll be making the child feel more comfortable with you, paving the way for them to open up to you about their problems.
If you can get them talking, gently ask what's wrong. But if the child does not want to open up, let the subject go, then repeat the process at another time until they're ready to tell you what's bothering them.
If a child is too frightened to talk
If you're worried that a child you know might be being abused at home, it can help to ask a question like, "Is mummy getting very cross with you? You can tell me about it if you want to."
A child might not understand that they're being abused. They may simply see it as a parent being angry or annoyed with them.
Supporting a Child With Anxiety -Tips and Advice
Children who are being sexually abused often do not talk about it because they think it's their fault or they have been convinced by their abuser that it's normal or a "special secret".
See more signs of child sexual abuse.
Children will often ask if you're going to tell anyone about what they've told you. Never promise not to tell, but explain that you'll only tell other people who want to help.
If you suspect abuse, encourage them to call ChildLine (0800 1111) or ring the NSPCC yourself (0808 800 5000) and get advice about how to report it.
If a child is aggressive or misbehaving
If a child is fighting or being aggressive, they're doing it for a good reason, and talking may help you discover the reason.
Start by telling the child that their bad behaviour is unacceptable and why – for example, because it will harm other people or get them into trouble. Then offer them the chance to talk about why they're angry.
This might not work instantly because an angry child might not listen to you straight away. Don't give up. Children are aware when they're behaving badly, and it's important to find out the reasons why.
See more tips on dealing with child anger.
If your child is worried about scary news
In this digital age it is virtually impossible to stop children from finding out about upsetting news events, such as terrorism, war and violent crime, that they may find traumatic.
Advice from the Mental Health Foundation includes:
- do not try to blackout all exposure to news; this is both unlikely to succeed and could actually increase their fears
- be truthful about what has happened
- let them know it is normal to be concerned and tell them you are also concerned
- encourage them to ask questions if they seem unclear about what has happened
- reassure them that you will do everything you can to keep them safe
The Mental Health Foundation has more advice about talking to your children about scary world news.
If your child is grieving
Young children don't always understand what death means. It helps to explain it by saying, "Nana's died. She's not going to be with us any more."
Watch children carefully if someone close to them has died. If they seem tearful or withdrawn, encourage them to open up about how they're feeling by talking about the person who's died.
You could say something like, "It's very sad that Nana has died" or "I feel sad that Nana has died, and sometimes it's hard to understand why people die."
See more about children and bereavement.
If you're still worried about your child
If you're still concerned about your child after talking to them, see your GP for further advice.
School Provision
Supporting the mental health of our stakeholders is one of the 3 strategic goals of the school which were agreed by the local governing body in July 19 and is an important strand of this year's school development plan which builds on our current provision. We are committed to supporting the mental health of our children by investing valuable curriculum time to the development of children's social and emotional learning and wellbeing. We use values to underpin school assemblies and use every opportunity we can to help develop resilience and confidence in our children.
Examples of our Provision
- Mental Health Champion
- Mental Health Lead
- 2 Mental Health First Aiders
- Healthy school's Week
- Mindfulness activities such as yoga, breathing exercises, meditation
- Forrest school activities
- Anti-Bullying Week and a strong anti-bullying culture
- Regular opportunities to perform to parents
- Outdoor and adventurous activities
- Friendship Fridays
- Values of the Term
- Circle time and PHSE
- Social thinking groups
- A multi-sensory room
- Support from specialists within the Lighthouse Schools Partnership and the Local Authority to work with individual children
CAMHS
The Child and Adult Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is run by Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership. The website is comprehensive, with links to external support, information on how to support your child with different mental health conditions, and information about accessing support.
CAMHS - Children and Adult Mental Health Services
What to do if you are concerned about your child’s mental health and wellbeing?
- In an emergency call 999
- If it is not a 999 emergency but your child is experiencing an immediate mental health crisis, you can call the free 24-hour daily mental health response line on 0800 9539599. The AWP mental health response line will connect you to a CAMHS practitioner. If you are put on hold, we will always know you are waiting and will answer as soon as we can. For your safety, we will ask you for your details such as your name, date of birth and contact number.
- Contact your GP
- Speak to a trusted school adult
Our Inclusion Leader and Mental Health leaders are able to refer a child to CAMHS if families and school are concerned about an ongoing mental health condition. Please ask to speak to either Mrs Sargent, Mr Riordan or Mrs Hardwidge if you think your child needs a referral.
Other Useful Links