A Course for Parents and Guardians as Partners in Promoting Positive Mental Health with Youngsters (focus on Depression, Anxiety, Self-harm, Substance use, misuse and abuse).
Mental health problems affect about 1 in 10 children and young people. They include depression, anxiety and conduct disorder, and are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives. Alarmingly, however, 70% of children and young people who experience a mental health problem have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.
“Half of all mental illnesses begin by the age of 14 and three-quarters by mid-20s. Neuropsychiatric conditions are the leading cause of disability in young people. If untreated, these conditions severely influence children’s development, their educational attainments and their potential to live fulfilling and productive lives. Children with mental disorders face major challenges with stigma, isolation and discrimination, as well as lack of access to health care and education facilities, in violation of their fundamental human rights” (WHO).
The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with life challenges and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults. ‘Successful improvement of health at key life stages requires a continuum of interventions across the life-course, combined with efforts to strengthen health delivery systems and address the broader social and economic determinants of health’. (Zsuzsanna Jakab, WHO Regional Director for Europe)
Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and self-harm are often linked with difficulties regulating emotion on a day-to-day basis (Mc Cay & Aiello, 2010).
Mental health challenges such as depression, anxiety, and self-harm are often linked with difficulties regulating emotion on a day-to-day basis. (Mc Cay & Aiello, 2010)
This course is designed to support parents, guardians and families of youth who experience mental health issues (the focus will be on depression, anxiety, self-harm and substance use, misuse and abuse) and will aim to create a deeper understanding of these conditions as well as identify helpful ways of ‘showing up’ that will support a positive relationship with the youngster. It will also focus on strategies related to supporting young persons to take control over symptoms linked to the mental health conditions mentioned above. Families will learn how to cope with fears and worries, identify triggers, as well as how to relax the mind and body and maximize their self-confidence in supporting their family member who is experiencing the mental health condition. It will also highlight ways of maintaining boundaries and self-care in order to maintain overall wellbeing.
Register for the course
To register for the course scroll down to the end of this page and read the Eligibility and Selection criteria.
Registrations to be submitted by 6th February 2022 17.00 hrs.