The ongoing pandemic and world events are leaving many people feeling anxious. In response, NHS Lanarkshire has released two new, free online courses to help support children and teenagers in these challenging times.
The programmes use tried-and-tested approaches to help parents, carers, and teachers to support children and young people struggling with anxiety. Both can be accessed by self-referral.
Delivered with the support of Lanarkshire’s partner SilverCloud, the Supporting an Anxious Child and Supporting an Anxious Teen courses are available on the Lanarkshire Mind Matters website.
The Supporting an Anxious Child course is designed to help children aged 4 to 11 and explores ways to deal with anxious thoughts and feelings, helping children to face their fears. The eight-part course includes activities, quizzes, relaxation techniques and ways to build self-esteem.
The Supporting an Anxious Teen course for young people aged 12 to 18 is designed to give parents and carers the skills and confidence they need to support teenagers. It covers different ways of looking at anxiety; how to help young people understand their complex feelings; how to support and empower them to deal with common difficulties such as worry and low self-esteem; and problem-solving skills they can use now and in future.
Dr Simon Stuart, Consultant Clinical Psychologist and Digital Lead for Psychological Services at NHS Lanarkshire, said: “These are really difficult times, and it’s very normal to be feeling anxious. We have all lived through two years of a pandemic, which is still going on, and the current conflict in Ukraine is very understandably creating a lot of worry and uncertainty for people. Children and teenagers pick up on all of this and it can be really distressing for them.
“These courses are designed to help adults to support children and young people, by encouraging them to discuss how they’re feeling so they can work through their fears. The programmes are rooted in approaches which are powerful yet kind. Because they’re online, they can be accessed at any time so families can work through them at their own pace.
“A key feature of the courses is learning about the unhelpful patterns – what we think and then what we do in response – that we can all fall into. They teach new skills that children, teens and adults can put into practice day by day, and offer simple, effective tools that can make things easier.”
The SilverCloud for Helping Teens and Children courses can be accessed at: https://www.lanarkshiremindmatters.scot.nhs.uk/how-we-can-help-you/silvercloud-helping-children-and-teens/
Anyone who needs emergency help with their mental health should call 999. If it is not an emergency, call NHS 24 on 111 or make an appointment to speak to their GP. Or they can:
- Find help online lanarkshiremindmatters.scot.nhs.uk/
- Call Samaritans on 116123 or email jo@samaritans.org
- Call Breathing Space on 0800 838587
For children feeling unsettled by what is going on in the news right now, the British Psychological Society has produced guidance for adults about how to talk to children about war, conflict and crises: https://www.bps.org.uk/news-and-policy/supporting-children-manage-anxiety-over-war-conflict-and-crises
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For more information, please contact:
Devan LaBrash or Giselle Dye, Pagoda PR, on 07739 085023 or email NHSLanarkshire@pagodapr.com
Notes to editors
- NHS Lanarkshire is the third largest health board in Scotland, serving a population of 655,000 across rural and urban communities. Its aim is for everyone to live longer, healthier lives at home, or in a homely setting, and it is committed to delivering high quality, innovative health and social care that is person-centred. NHSLanarkshire employs around 12,000 staff working in communities, health centres, clinics and offices, and at three university general hospitals – University Hospital Hairmyres, University Hospital Monklands and University Hospital Wishaw.
- SilverCloud is a website with courses to improve mental wellbeing based on cognitive behavioural therapy. For more information about SilverCloud in Lanarkshire, see https://www.lanarkshiremindmatters.scot.nhs.uk/how-we-can-help-you/silvercloud-online-therapy/
- NHSInform provides an extensive range of mental wellbeing resources is available at www.nhsinform.scot/mental-wellbeing
- Breathing Space is available in the evenings (6pm to 2am weekdays) and 24 hours at the weekend (Fri 6pm to Mon 6am) on 0800 83 85 87. The web chat service can be accessed from breathingspace.scot.
- NHS 24 Mental Health Hub for those experiencing mental distress. The Mental Health Hub is available 24 hours a day, 7 days of the week by calling 111 and following the telephone prompts. Anyone may call. The Hub is staffed by Mental Health Nurse Practitioners and Mental Health Senior Charge Nurses. If needed, they will supervise a call to a safe outcome. The most common reasons for calling include thinking about suicide, anxieties, low mood, psychosis, and self-harm.
- National mental wellbeing support line for the health and social care workforce is a national mental wellbeing support line available for everyone working in health and social care services. It is a compassionate listening service – 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, by calling 0800 111 4191. The National Wellbeing Helpline is operated by NHS 24.
