Each year, Youth Mental Health Day aims to get young people, and those who support them, talking about how to improve their mental health and to promote understanding and awareness. It is an initiative from Stem4, the teenage mental health charity.
The theme this year is 'be brave' - what it means and what it takes to be brave - to give young people confidence to achieve their goals and dreams. So whether it's trying something new to build confidence, having the courage to fail or reaching out for support when you're struggling, being brave means something different to everyone.
At West Sussex Mind, we know that it's a challenging time for children and young people - especially during and since the pandemic - and that there's a backlog in our mental health systems to meet the demand for support.
We can support young people and their parents and carers in the following ways:
- We have dedicated support workers for 16 to 25 year olds, who can offer one-to-one support and remote support via video calls. They also run workshops on a variety of mental health topics, as well as activities for young people out in the local community.
- We offer mental health support in GP surgeries for 8 to 17 year olds in Worthing, Adur, Chanctonbury and Arun. Young people can go to their GP in a number of surgeries and be referred to one of our specialist workers, who will work with them to create a support plan and offer one-to-one sessions face to face and by video call.
- Support for parents and carers with young people who may be experiencing difficulties with their mental health. This is for parents of school-age children (5-18) and includes fortnightly online peer support meetings; expert talks on topics, such as anxiety, depression, self-harm and disordered eating; telephone support before joining the service; and free webinars.
What does 'being brave' mean to you this Youth Mental Health Day?
