insideKENT Magazine Issue 96 - March 2020 | Page 148

EDUCATION
DON'T WAIT FOR A CRISIS: THE IMPORTANCE
OF EARLY INTERVENTION IN CHILD MENTAL HEALTH
SPECIAL FEATURE IN ASSOCIATION WITH DARE TO DIFFER AND WEST KENT MIND
THE RECENT INCREASE IN THE AWARENESS OF MENTAL HEALTH HAS PROVIDED A GREATER
EMPHASIS AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES YOUNG PEOPLE FACE IN SOCIETY. WITH
THIS COMES A GREATER EMPATHY, MORE AWARENESS AND SUPPORT FOR THOSE
EXPERIENCING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. THIS IS GREAT BUT… HOW DO YOU KNOW THE
SIGNS TO LOOK FOR IN YOUR CHILD/YOUNG PERSON? HOW DO YOU ACCESS SUPPORT?
AND HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE TO GET SUPPORT IF NEEDED?
“With Public Health England reporting that
50% of mental health issues are established
by the age of 14 and 75% by the age of 24,
enabling our children to talk openly about
their thoughts and feelings is crucial.”
West Kent Mind.
West Kent Mind acknowledges that whilst the sources
of stress for our children are not hugely different to
our own, it is widely agreed that children are under
more pressure than ever before. Whether the pressure
is emotional (including social media, peer pressure
or bullying), environmental (including academic
pressure), physical (unhealthy sleep patterns, poor
diet, lack of routine) or life changes (changing schools,
family relationship breakdown or bereavement),
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everyone has a limit to what they can healthily cope
with and this differs for everyone. As parents, we
tend to focus on the behavioural manifestations,
which we may interpret or see as stroppy behaviour,
monosyllabic responses, a lack of focus on school
work, etc, when instead we need to be more aware
of what might be causing this behaviour. As adults
it is crucial how we listen, respond and validate our
children’s feelings, without undermining their
significance. Part and parcel of this is also being
aware, as parents, of our own judgements and
preconceived perceptions.
Early intervention begins at home and keeping
channels of communication open will help to ensure
that children and young people feel able to talk to
you when things get tough. Enabling positive and
supportive conversations and feeling heard enables
Early identification is key to actioning
support early on when a young person
needs it, it helps action support before it
hits crisis point and can often lead to the
young person’s mental health significantly
improving vs declining if left for a longer
period of time.
a young person to feel that their concerns are being
taken seriously. As parents, we need to be aware of
changes in behaviour or patterns, no matter how
small, that may indicate something is wrong.
According to Dare to Differ, behaviours are a signifier
of responses to actions, environments and emotions,
and they can help us to notice early changes and
signs that something is not quite right. It is important
to distinguish between general developmental stages
of behaviour and behaviours that signify something
else; but reassure yourself that you know your young
person best. Trust your instincts and act on those
early signs of behaviour changes. Every young person
is different and you are best placed to know if it is
an unusual behaviour.