Understanding Mental Health and building resilience Josephine Burke Art Psychotherapist, Mental Health Clinician Emotional Health Service Alicia Crane Educational Psychologist

Expectations

CAMHS Tiers 4 Specialist Mental Health Services: Psychiatrists, Clinical Psychologists, Family Therapists, Psychotherapists 4 Very Specialist Intervention and Care 3 ‘core CAMHS’ Complex, Severe, Persistent Disorders EPs, Counsellors, Specialist SW, Community Nurses, EHS 2 Emotional, behavioural psychological and mental health problems GPs, SW, HV, Teachers, Nurses, Schools EWO’s 1 Promotion of Psychological and Mental Health directly or indirectly

What is mental health? Good emotional wellbeing means being able to develop our minds, our social life, our emotional world, our learning and our spirituality. Its important to get a balance between what stresses us out, and what helps us manage (or our ‘resources’). Its normal for stresses and our resources to change at different times depending on what is happening, so its normal for our emotional wellbeing to change too. Mental health difficulties like depression can develop if someone continues to feel that they can’t cope with a difficult situation or difficult feelings. This is common, its not something to be ashamed of. The most important thing is to recognise if things are getting difficult to cope with and to ask for help. 1 in 4! Most people will experience a mental health difficulty at some point in their life. There are ways to get help and advice.

Why is mental health important? Positive emotions influence concentration, memory, problem-solving and all learning skills. Positive relationships enable individuals to break out of dysfunctional patterns. Emotional literacy promotes creativity, innovation and leadership • Children learn more effectively if they are happy in their work, believe in themselves, like their teachers and feel school is supporting them. • Achievement in school in academic subjects is vital to pupil happiness and self-esteem. When we feel good we learn better. Improving emotional literacy raises standards. Emotional wellbeing makes learning more enjoyable. Improved emotional literacy reduces unnecessary stress.

What does mental health mean to you? It can be helpful to think of mental health as existing on a continuum for all of us: At any particular point in our lives we are somewhere on this continuum, either with good mental health, functioning well emotionally, psychologically and socially, or at times functioning less well in these areas and therefore having poorer mental health. Where we are on this continuum at any one time can be influenced by a number of things, including stress levels......

Mental Health Difficulties When should we take action? What do you think the signs are that tell us we might need some help with our mental health? What are the signs that would make you worried about a friend/your child?

Depression Change in mood, appearance, sullen, withdrawn, easily angered, spending more time alone, difficulty in friendship groups, critical of self and others, tearful, increased tiredness. Teenagers are more likely to experience depression than young children, but low mood, low self-esteem and stress can affect people of all ages.

Anxiety Children and young people with anxiety can become extremely worried about a number of things, making negative predictions about how things will turn out. You may see continual lateness for school, difficulty participating in class, asking for lots of comfort breaks, difficulty settling/switching from tasks, repetitive movements or tasks, extremes of emotion, tearful, and tiredness.

Post trauma difficulties This can follow abuse, witnessing something extremely frightening, being the victim of violence or severe bullying. You may see withdrawal from others, seeming disconnected, trouble concentrating, ‘off in own world’, sudden changes in mood, easily startled, ‘jumpy’, more easily angered, low mood.

Attachment difficulties This can look like ASD or ADHD, but children may also have trouble with telling the ‘truth’, taking things that aren't theirs, maintaining boundaries, being excessively verbose or seeking adult ‘attention’, they may be aggressive or show sexualised behaviour. Conversely they may also avoid adult attention and aim for independence, rejecting attempts to support them. They may struggle in social situations with peers or be popular through over compliance and trying to please others.

Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others. Autistic people see, hear and feel the world differently to other people. If you are autistic, you are autistic for life; autism is not an illness or disease and cannot be 'cured'. Often people feel being autistic is a fundamental aspect of their identity. Autism is a spectrum condition. All autistic people share certain difficulties, but being autistic will affect them in different ways. Some autistic people also have learning disabilities, mental health issues or other conditions, meaning people need different levels of support. All people on the autism spectrum learn and develop. With the right sort of support, all can be helped to live a more fulfilling life of their own choosing.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) Three main difficulties you will see which need to be present and significantly more so than their peers. Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity. May have challenges in social situations, have difficulty relating to others.

What affects our children's mental health? Bullying Parents arguing Parents separating Grief and loss Loneliness Problems at school Feeling you don’t fit in Exams Caring for a family member Highlight that it is an individual process – different stressors for everyone and difference tolerance levels for everyone

What effects the balance? How stress impacts on our mental health or overall functioning varies in accordance to: How much stress at any one time How intense the stress How many resources to manage stress How much support in managing the stress Young people and adults alike can be more vulnerable to mental health difficulties depending on the number and type of stressors they have and their ability to manage these stressors.....

Stress on our mental health Mental health can vary in relation to the stress that comes along, the changes taking place and our resources to manage these. - But change is necessary.... - Does change = stress? - Stress prompts us to change and adapt and develop to our environments. It’s how we grow... The balance! For us to adapt and manage change well enough, the level of stress must be high enough to prompt us to do something different, but not so high that it overwhelms us.

Getting the balance right

What is resilience? This ability to bounce back seems to involve several related elements: Self esteem and confidence Belief in one’s own self efficacy Ability to deal with change and adaptation A repertoire of social problem solving approaches

The importance of resilience “a universal capacity which allows a person, group or community to prevent, minimise or overcome the damaging affects of adversity.” (International Resilience Project).

How do we affect our child/ren's mental health? https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=34vVGVrGGBU

What can I do?

Be a detective! You may notice these signs in yourself, a friend or your child: Changes to sleep pattern Stress starts to affect physical health Feeling low, sad or tearful most of the time Worrying much more than usual Stopping to talk to trusted others about feelings because it feels too hard. Withdrawing from socialising more and more Feeling so angry, taking it out on others or on nearby objects Using unhealthy ways of coping with these difficult feelings, Changes to appetite Thinking of running away or that life isn’t worth living Hearing voices that tell you what to do or make you behave strangely

Responding to mental health difficulties Don't be afraid to approach a young person and ask if they are OK or if something is bothering them. Use your listening and reflecting skills. Wonder aloud about what might be happening. Name feelings around events if a child approaches you to talk. Look beyond behaviour, be curious about what is happening for them. Model emotion regulation Ask for help- use internal systems of support and advice. Know where else to get support from.... Young children may not tell you there is something wrong, this means they rely on your detective skills to notice early signs of mental health difficulties.... Observe young people... Has anything changed at school or at home? Notice changes in appearance? How they relate to peers and to adults? Observe beyond behaviour, what is triggering them? Observe yourself... If you feel a particular way in presence of a particular young person this may give a good insight into their internal world Being aware of our own feelings can help us to see beyon The visible spectrum (behaviour) and understand what is going on inside a young person’s mind.

Resources for good mental health Self-esteem Good friend Getting on with family Hobbies Having a say (control) Pets Physical activity Realistic expectations Self-care (eating/sleeping)

End of session reflection Based on this session.... What has it made you think? What will you do next? How has it made you feel?

Next steps… In pairs, spend a few minutes reflecting upon the session and think about what you may go away and try to do differently or something you’d like to know more about

Questions? Thankyou