Mental Health At Home

Children and young people’s mental health is suffering more than ever.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists analysed data from April–December 2020, which showed a 28% increase in the number of referrals to mental health services compared with the year before.

NHS England research has shown that the experience of waiting for support from mental health services can cause young people to feel scared, alone, lost and confused.

Children and young people in BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire have said they would like to receive mental health support primarily from their family and friends, and that they would only reach out to professionals if this was not an option. Parents and carers said they would like to receive advice and training on how to support the young person, whilst they wait for professional help.

To mark mental health awareness week 2021 and help tackle some of these issues, we teamed up with Create Studios to produce a series of short films to help children and young people manage their mental health at home.

Esther Schmidt, CCG Children’s Commissioning Lead, says:

"The way families talk about mental health can make an enormous difference to how situations are handled and the outcomes for those who are struggling."

Films

The films are freely available to all, and contain tips and strategies from healthcare professionals about how to support young people’s mental health at home, including while they may be waiting for input from mental health services.

The films are powerful, engaging and full of practical advice. They feature Wellbeing and Communication Training Facilitators Milly and Olivia sharing tips and strategies for families to have constructive conversations about difficult feelings.

Watch the series below.

The films also follow several individuals (played by actors) from different backgrounds, including Arthur who has Asperger’s and whose mental health condition was significantly exacerbated during the pandemic.

Visit our YouTube channel to share the films.

Support and resources

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) help children and young people up to 18 who are finding it hard to cope with everyday life because of difficult feelings, behaviour or relationships. Read more about CAMHS on the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust website.

Oxford Health also have free digital resources to help you manage your mental health at home.

If you or a young person in your life could benefit from CAMHS support, visit our mental health services page to find out how to access local services.

From there, you will also find contact details for other local mental health support services.

If you are currently experiencing a mental health crisis or supporting someone in crisis, please call the Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust crisis line: 0800 953 1919. In an emergency, please dial 999.