A GROWING number of children are experiencing feelings of anxiety and depression - but would you know what to do if your child was one of them?
About half of children aged 12 to 16 in England feel sad or anxious about their future or school on a weekly basis, new figures reveal.
And by the age of 16 some 70 per cent of kids have felt down or anxious at least once a week.
Even more worryingly, a quarter of children in the same age bracket feel extremely low at least once a day, according to a survey by children's charity Barnardo's for Children's Mental Health Week from February 5.
Stress at school is the biggest worry for most children, followed by acceptance from their peers on social media.
Some 80 per cent of kids admitted they were anxious about their future while 25 per cent said they were being bullied at school.
And 11 per cent were anxious they would not receive enough "likes" if they shared something on Facebook.
Javed Khan, Barnardo's chief executive, said: "It is deeply concerning that so many children in England are growing up feeling sad and anxious and these feelings are intensified as they get older.
"Although these can be normal emotions experienced while growing up, children need support to deal with the pressures of everyday life."
How to spot the signs of mental health problems in your child
Emily Cherry, head of policy at Barnados UK, said there are eight key warning signs to look out for but they can vary from child to child.
“Parents are the experts in their own children,” she told The Sun Online.
“Feeling down or anxious is often really normal for children and it can be quite worrying for parents to see that.
“But there is often a real tipping point for parents when that anxiety, that feeling low and feeling sad starts to take over your child’s life and that’s when you need to be seeking help.”
THE 8 KEY SIGNS OF MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN YOUR CHILDREN
IF your child begins to show any of these signs you should try to talk to them about how they are feeling, or speak to a professional
- persistently low mood
- withdrawn from social events
- uncontrollable anger
- tearfulness and emotional outbursts
- loss of interest in hobbies and things they used to enjoy
- trouble eating
- trouble sleeping
Emily explained that a child suffering mental health problems will begin to feel persistently down.
“They might be becoming really withdrawn from friends and family and isolating themselves.
“So if you have events coming up like birthdays they might start to become really fearful and don’t want to engage.
“They will be persistently low and unhappy – nothing will lift their mood.”
Another key sign to look out for is anger and emotional outbursts.
These will be much bigger than the usual outburst a child might have when they are defying their parents.
“That kind of anger or outburst will stop them doing normal, everyday tasks,” Emily added.
“They may also lose interest in activities they used to enjoy, like if your child had a hobby and they have suddenly stopped doing that.
“And the really important signs to look for are they will be having problems eating and sleeping.
“Children who are persistently low, who are suffering from depression or anxiety, will find sleeping really difficult.”
“If a child is getting to crisis point, where they are feeling so low and angry, they may turn to self-harm and even have suicidal thoughts.”
How can you speak to your child about their mental health?
The most important thing to do is to make your child feel safe by not pressuring them to talk, Emily explained.
You should start by gently letting you child know you are always there for them and that they are free to talk about anything.
"The number one thing is to create time and space with your child so you can talk to them," Emily said.
“The words I used with my kids are, ‘Whatever you are feeling or facing I am here to support you’.
“I do it on a car journey because it is uninterrupted time that you are together and you can open up that dialogue.
TOP TIPS ON HOW TO TALK TO YOUR CHILD ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH
CREATING a safe and welcoming environment is an important part of addressing your child's mental health problems.
- set aside uninterrupted time with your child
- create a safe place for them to talk
- let them know that you are always there for them
- let them know that they can talk about anything they are feeling
- if they don't want to talk straight away don't push them
- use gentle language like "I've noticed you have been sad lately, I am always here if you want to talk"
- do not make it an inquisition by asking lots of questions like "why are you sad?" and "what is going on?"
- encourage them to speak to a friend or teacher if they don't feel comfortable talking to you
“It might be that you prefer to do it during a regular activity you do together or on a walk, it is about getting uninterrupted time with your child.
“The tone should be soft and reassuring, the space should feel safe and warm and the response shouldn’t be like an inquisition.
“You should say things like ‘I’ve noticed you’ve been feeling sad recently’ or ‘we’ve noticed some changes in you, if there is anything you are worried about I am here for you’.
“And if the child shrugs it off completely you can respond with ‘if you are not ready to talk today that’s OK but remember I am always here’.
And if your child really doesn’t want to talk to you at all you can encourage them to talk to a friend or teacher, Emily explained.
There are also plenty of places online where a child can speak to mental health advisers.
MORE ON MENTAL HEALTH
“But you should never push the child,” Emily added.
“Otherwise they could become completely withdrawn and fearing that they can’t talk to you about how they are feeling.
“And that could push them towards more negative or damaging behaviour like self-harm to cope with their emotions.”
If you are worried about your child’s mental health you can visit the Bernado's website here.
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