Added by: Shropshire Mums on Mon Feb 3 11:03 2020
7 common triggers and how to help
Most adults think of
their childhood as the happiest time of their life. But we forget too
quickly that being a child – even as young as 1 – can be stressful.
Pressure and stress, of course, can have a direct effect on mood, which may explain why many experts believe it can lead to depression. So, is it any surprise that studies show almost 1 in 4 young people will experience depression before they are 19 years old?
Unfortunately,
growing numbers of young people are harming themselves as a way of
coping with feelings of depression and anxiety. In fact a, studt from Young Minds found that self-harm among young women and girls is rising at an ‘alarming rate’.
From peer pressure to academic expectations, there are many aspects of modern life that can lead a child or teenager to feel stressed, anxious and worried. Ahead of this year’s Children’s Mental Health Week, the wellbeing experts at CABA Wellbeing experts at CABA outline some of the common triggers and offer their tips on how to support a child who is experiencing stress or depression.
Common triggers
1. School and homework
Many
children feel under pressure to do well at school. For some, the
lessons they have to learn during the day – plus the homework they have
to do in the evening – can seem overwhelming, and if a child falls
behind this can lead to stress. It can often mean they don’t have enough
free time to play and blow off steam.
2. Exams
Exams can put children and teenagers under increasing pressure, so much so that a recent report by Childline
revealed the service delivered more than 2,795 counselling sessions on
exam stress between 2018 - 2019, with a third of these helped in April
and May alone.
In the report, ChildLine cites the top concerns for
children are not wanting to disappoint their parents, excessive
workloads and trying their best but still failing. It was also revealed
that young people said worrying about taking exams was negatively
affecting their mental health, causing some to self-harm or experience
suicidal thoughts.
3. Making friends & peer pressure
When
children start a new school, making friends can put them under
pressure. Those who don’t make friends easily are likely to feel
isolated. Children can also worry when they argue and fall out with
their friends. Many children feel under pressure to fit in, and
sometimes this means they do things they may not feel comfortable with
or are unsure of.
4. Bullying
In ChildLine’s 2018-1029 annual review,
it was revealed that bullying was the most common reason for young
people to use their services for children aged 11 and under.
As a
parent, there are certain things you can look out for that may suggest
your child is having a problem with bullying. These include:
⦁ Becoming withdrawn, nervous and losing confidence
⦁ Performing badly at school
⦁ Not wanting to go to school (for instance, pretending to be ill)
⦁ Losing personal belongings (or personal belongings becoming damaged)
⦁ Not eating or sleeping well
⦁ Having unexplained injuries such as bruises
5. World events
It’s
impossible to keep disturbing news about things like war, natural
disasters and terrorist attacks from children these days. As a result,
some children may worry about their safety as well as that of their
parents, family members and friends.
6. Family difficulties or changes
From
moving to a new house to parents separating, family difficulties and
changes to the norm can be tough on a child or teenager and can cause
stress.
How you can help
If you suspect your child is under a lot
of stress and pressure and may be suffering, here are some of the
things you can do to help:
1. Make time for them
All
parents are busy these days, but it’s important to spend more time than
usual with your children if you think they’re worried about something.
Making yourself available for fun activities or just being in the same
room as them. Ask them about their day and show an interest in things
that are important to them. But try to avoid forcing them to talk about
their worries – they’ll open up when they feel comfortable talking about
it.
2. Encourage healthy sleep
Getting the right
amount of sleep and rest can help children become more resilient to
stress. Children need different amounts of sleep at different ages –
find out how many hours your children need by visiting NHS Choices.
3. Feed them healthy food
Good nutrition is also essential if you want to boost your childs coping skills.
Try to make sure they’re eating at least 5 portions of a variety of
fruit and vegetables every day. If your children are resistant to eating
fruit and veg, there are lots of ways to get them into their diet
(these tips by NHS Choices may help).
4. Make stress normal
It
may be useful to remind your children that some level of stress is
perfectly normal in life, and that everyone is affected by it and has to
find ways of coping. Explaining that it’s okay to feel what they’re
feeling could give them the confidence they need to manage their stress
levels. If it helps, try talking about times when you’ve been stressed,
and explain how you tackled it.
