How To Talk To Children About Mental Health
Mental health can be a tricky subject for many. Many people, including children, are affected by mood disorders or general symptoms of mental health struggles. But in recent years, the stigma attached to poor mental health has been challenged in the best possible way. That’s why initiatives like World Mental Health Day have been implemented: to challenge and change how people talk about and deal with emotional issues that can arise for anyone at any time. Ahead of this year’s World Mental Health Day, let’s take a look at how to talk to children about mental health in particular.
What is World Mental Health Day?
World Mental Health Day is a day dedicated to spreading awareness about mental health, which occurs on October 10 every year.
Mental health awareness is as important now as it has been in the past, even though the discussion surrounding it has become much more prominent in recent years. Nowadays, many people are more educated and prepared to have open and authentic discussions on what mental health means, how it affects those who deal with it either personally or through someone they love, and what people can do to help improve the spread of mental health awareness.
When learning how to talk to children about mental health, there’s no shortage of advice and tips to help you make sure you tackle the topic in a way that’s easily understood, age-appropriate, and allows your children to open up in a safe space.
Why is it important to talk to children about mental health?
Mental health and mood disorders have been heavily stigmatized in the past. That stigma has been challenged, yes, but it still exists in many circles. Children coping with mental health disorders, or those who have seen it firsthand in someone else, may not understand what poor mental health means and why it shouldn’t be hidden away from the outside world. While explaining mental health to students can be a delicate matter, it’s essential to become well-versed in the topic so you can approach the conversation in a way that a child will understand.
Youth mental health has continued to decline in recent years, and according to research surrounding the topic, “the number of youths searching for help with their mental health is increasing,” and children aged “11–17 have been more likely than any other age group to score for moderate to severe symptoms” of specific mental health disorders, including anxiety and depression.
Because of these stats, it’s more important than ever to let your child or students know they don’t have to suffer in silence. Many people are afraid to ask for help or keep their mental health struggles to themselves. However, with rates of mood disorders rising, mental health for kids has never been more critical.
Gen Z kids are likely to be significantly more open about their struggles, but barriers to care continue to pose a problem, as well as the stigmas that have burned so strong for so long.
How do you explain mental health to children?
Talking to children about mental health isn’t an easy task. You need to approach the topic with them in a safe environment and explain disorders and their importance in a way that provides understanding without putting too heavy a load on their shoulders.
You can take advantage of many tips when sitting down with your children or students to talk about what mental health is, why it’s essential, and why those who deal with it every day should be cared for and not stigmatized.
Mental health conversation starters
When you start talking to your children about mental health, you don’t want to bombard them with statistics or other hard facts straight up. At first, and especially for younger kids, you’ll want to stick to how the experience feels.
You can start the conversation with small, simple questions that can open the topic up to discussion. That way, it keeps the talk from feeling too serious and allows them to express their feelings freely. Try starting by asking them:
- How are you feeling physically and emotionally today?
- How is school going?
- Is there anything I can do to help you today?
You could also start the conversation by telling them how you feel when you experience your own mental health struggles and asking if they’ve ever felt something similar. Doing so will help them to feel safer to open up because you shared first. It also allows them to feel less alone in their emotions, making it easier to talk to people about them.
The best way to start these conversations, regardless of how you approach them, is during a calm and relaxed time. For example, while doing easy chores, cooking, or traveling together, you can open the lines of communication in a way that helps your child feel more at ease.
Some other ways to effectively speak to your child about mental health in a way they’ll understand include:
- Using Analogies to Paint a Clearer Picture: Comparing mental health disorders to other illnesses, such as the common cold, can provide a deeper understanding of the fact that mental illness is just that: an illness.
- Allow them the Space to Talk and Ask Questions: You’ll likely have to have more than one chat about mental health. It should be an ongoing topic of discussion. Giving them the space to ask questions and talk about their struggles regularly will provide them with a deeper understanding of mental health and why it’s so important.
- Discuss Self-Care and Prevention Techniques: Mental illness isn’t 100% preventable, but there are steps your child can take to help lower their risk of developing mental health struggles. These techniques can also help children coping with an existing mood disorder. You can talk to them about self-care and prevention practices proven to support mental health, such as walks in nature or other forms of exercise, a healthy diet, and a proper sleep schedule.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Go Too Deep: Suicide and other self-harm ideations are hard to discuss, especially with those you love. But as the rates of suicidal thinking and actions increase in young people, it’s an important topic to address. Don’t be afraid to discuss the darkest side of mental health with your children so that they know they have you to turn to if they start experiencing such feelings.
Talking to your children or students about mental health and its effects on people and their loved ones is a crucial aspect of growth and development. Children, especially those diagnosed with mood disorders, need open lines of communication to understand what they’re going through and the steps they can take to develop a support system that helps them cope and overcome their mental health challenges.
