Reports suggest that child and youth mental health concerns have been rising over the time of the pandemic. Recently, there’s been more media coverage on the topic. For parents and caregivers, it can be tricky to know what might be a typical reaction to stressful times, and what signs and symptoms may suggest that professional mental health assistance could be beneficial. Here is some information to help.
You may notice changes in behaviours and emotions that could be potential signs of a mental health problem. Ask yourself:
- Are these behaviours and emotions out of character for my child?
- Are they having a negative impact on my child’s ability to enjoy everyday life?
- Are these concerning behaviours happening more often?
- Are they more intense and lasting longer?
It’s important to recognize that an increase in anxiety and challenges with mood can be normal reactions to difficult times—it’s been a challenging few years. If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, you can start by talking to your child:
- Start the conversation by describing changes you have noticed in their mood, behaviour, reactions (e.g., “I have noticed that you seem to be getting frustrated more easily these days, and not as patient with others as you usually are”).
- Share that you wonder about how your child might be feeling and if there is any way you could be helpful (e.g., “Is there something bothering you, or something I could do that might help?”).
- For younger children, it can sometimes be useful to help them to name the emotions they are feeling (e.g., “it sounds like you miss your friendship with Rohan and that you are feeling sad about that. Do I have that right?” or “I can see why you would be feeling worried because you think you have fallen behind in math. Is that what you are most worried about?”
- Stay calm and don’t abandon the conversation if your child responds with “nothing is wrong…leave me alone”. If this happens, reassure your child that you are there for them. Give your child some time and then try again.
Tips for supporting your child’s mental health
There are many ways that parents/caregivers can provide support when their child is experiencing feelings of sadness, anger, worry, etc. Here are a few ideas:
- Take pressure off where you can. For example, avoid talking about things causing you stress, try not to expose them to worrisome news in the media.
- Listen to your child as they describe their thoughts and emotions. Reflect back what you hear. Try not to judge, jump in with quick solutions, or minimize the concern. Seek to understand.
- If your child is experiencing a low mood, one of the best things they can do is to get active. Try to do activities together. Even a short walk outdoors can boost your child’s mood.
- Explore cultural and social activities to help develop a sense of cultural identity and self-esteem.
- If you are able, try to spend one-on-one time with your child each day.
If your child does not seem to be improving with the actions you have tried, you may wish to reach out for help. In addition to supports within your family, health team (family doctor), and culture/faith community, there is help available at school. To explore this, feel free to contact your child’s teacher or the office. We can work together to help make sure your child gets the support they need. There is help available from our school team, as well as board-level services from professionals like social workers and psychology team members. Sometimes, more help is needed and community mental health organizations in our community, like York Hills Centre for Children, Youth and Families are available for this.
For more information and ideas, visit our board mental health page at www. https://www.ycdsb.ca/mental-health and/or the School Mental Health Ontario website at: smho-smso.ca/parents-and-caregivers
The role of schools in child and youth mental health support
Schools have an important role in Ontario’s system of care for youth mental health. Our role is primarily focused on mental health promotion, prevention and early intervention. We work with the community mental health system locally to coordinate pathways to, from and through care for students who may need more intensive supports.
At our school, we’ve been increasing our focus on mental health promotion through:
- mental health lessons
- psychoeducational classroom workshops
Talking about mental health at home can be helpful too. Remember, just like our physical health, our mental health changes – we all have times when we don’t feel mentally well. You can share strategies that work for you and can ask your child to share what they’re learning at school. Child and youth mental health problems are common, and help is available. When we encourage young people to ask for help early, they can get the help they need early, often preventing more serious problems later.
If you’re concerned about your child’s mental health, we can work together to help make sure they get the support they need. Start by reaching out to the office or school staff member or encourage your child to speak to a staff member.
Tips for supporting your teen’s mental health
There are many ways that parents/caregivers can provide support when teens are experiencing feelings of sadness, anger, worry, etc. Here are a few ideas:
- Try to take pressure off where you can. For example, avoid talking about things causing you stress, help them to plan academic tasks so they can manage them better, reinforce techniques that help with exam stress and transitions, avoid adding additional performance pressure
- Listen to your teen as they describe their thoughts and emotions. Reflect back what you hear. Try not to judge, jump in with quick solutions, or minimize the concern. Seek to understand.
- If your teen is experiencing a low mood, one of the best things they can do is to get active. Even a short walk outdoors can boost your teen’s mood.
- Explore cultural, faith, community and social activities to help build on strengths and identities.
- If you are able, try to spend one-on-one time with your teen each day. Ordinary things like riding in a car or on transit, or doing chores together, can bring times of closeness and laughter.
- Take a moment each day to care for your own wellness. This can be very hard to do in the busy life of a parent/caregiver, but it does go a long way. It is like the instruction when traveling by air to put on your own oxygen mask first before supporting your child.
If your teen does not seem to be improving with the actions you have tried, you may wish to reach out for help. In addition to supports within your family, health team (family doctor), and culture/faith community, there is help available at school. To explore this, feel free to contact your teen’s teacher or the office. We can work together to help make sure your teen gets the support they need. There is help available from our school team, as well as board-level services from professionals like social workers and psychology team members. Sometimes, more help is needed and community mental health organizations in our community, like York Hills Centre for Children, Youth and Families are available for this.
For more information and ideas, visit https://www.ycdsb.ca/mental-health/ and/or the School Mental Health Ontario website at: smho-smso.ca/parents-and-caregivers