Your child's mental health

What is mental health?

Everyone has mental health and it’s all about what we think and how we feel.

We all have good days and bad days, and our mental health can be better or worse at different times. Most of the time, people can cope with the ups and downs by resting, getting support and doing things that help them feel better.

But sometimes the bad days start to happen more often and it becomes harder to feel okay again.

Mental health problems can happen when these bad days keep coming and don’t seem to go away. They can start to affect a person’s everyday life, including at home, at school and with friends or family. They might also stop someone from enjoying the things they used to like doing.

Children and young people go through big changes in their bodies and minds and this can make life feel challenging. These changes can sometimes affect their mental health.

Mental health problems can start at any age and they can look different for every person.

Some common mental health problems include:

low mood and depression
worries and anxiety
eating disorders
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
bipolar disorder

Low mood is very common in children and young people. Some signs to look out for include your child seeming sad, tearful, or irritable for a long time - sometimes for weeks or months.

They might stop doing things they enjoy or become less interested in spending time with family and friends. Low mood can also cause physical symptoms, such as feeling tired, feeling unwell, or sleeping or eating too little or too much.

They may also start to feel negative, hopeless or think that things will never get better. Low mood can sometimes lead to self-harm or suicidal thoughts.

For more advice about low mood and depression, including how to support your child, visit the website, YoungMinds: Depression and low mood.

For support and links to more help with specific conditions visit Samaritans - Other sources of help.

Mental health is important for everyone, even if you don’t have a diagnosed condition. It’s important to look after your emotional wellbeing so you can live a happier and healthier life and to help stop problems from developing in the future.

Five ways to wellbeing

The '5 Ways to Wellbeing' is a helpful guide that shows small, easy steps you can use every day to improve your wellbeing and mental health. The BBC website has some videos that explain each of the 5 ways; BBC Teach - Five ways to wellbeing.

And for more tips and resources visit, Derbyshire County Council - 5 ways to wellbeing for young people.

More information about mental health

For more information about mental health visit the following websites:

For tips on how to talk to your child about mental health, an advice download is available for:

Or for advice and support on how to cope with your child's problems like, low mood, anger or stress visit the website NHS - Advice for parents.

What services are available in Derby?

24/7 mental health helpline: 0800 028 0077 OR dial 111 and select option 2
Public health nurses and ChatHealth
CAMHS – Children's mental health services, covering all struggles
Compass Changing Lives
Kooth – offers 1:1 support for a range of mental health struggles for children over 11
Relate Derby – offers a range of local support as well as counselling and talking therapies for children and young people.

For more information about local and national services, visit: Derby & Derbyshire - Emotional Health & Wellbeing.