Getting a grip on young people’s mental health

It is hard to watch the news, listen to the radio or read a paper without stumbling across another appalling statistic about young people’s mental health. This week is was that 62% of 11-18 year olds had carried out a general internet search for depression.

With so many young people experiencing anxiety, depression and stress, it’s time we learnt what to say to them about the subject…and that we feel comfortable doing so, and not just that we can talk openly about these issues, but that we can also give practical advice about what to do rather than just wring our hands or simply ignore the problem.

Simply teaching young people the skill of noticing where stress is in their body, and then taking action to calm racing thoughts or spiralling emotions, can really help them take control. Once noticed just taking a breath in for a count of 7 and then our for 11 can help, as can taking some exercise, or distracting unhelpful thoughts until things feel calmer. Some researchers talk about the stomach being like a second brain as there as so many neural pathways linking the two. This can be a great place to start with young people, getting them to hone in on how their tummy feels, and then taking these steps to feel better.