As you may know, this week is Children's Mental Health Week. The Youth Council plans to create a mental health charter for young people. Why? Well, we must learn to speak of any problems we may have with our mental health to gain help and a more diverse understanding of mental health issues.
So, what is mental health? Well, the answer is more simple than you might expect. Mental health means "a state of well-being in which the individual realises his/her/their abilities, can cope with the everyday stresses of life, work productively and fruitfully, and can make a contribution to his/her/their community" or, in more simple terms, how we think, act or cope with social situations.
Some people may find it difficult to handle their problems and find it challenging to come and find help. It is also vital that we teach people how to identify if someone is struggling, as they may know someone who could be struggling, or maybe they may not even know that what they are going through may be low mental health.
Henceforth, we plan to make a mental health charter to help people show how they are feeling and may help people who are struggling to get help. This can teach people how important it is to be kind to everyone as you never know what they may be going through. These mental health charters can be placed anywhere, mainly at schools and workplaces where mental health is a big issue and often goes unreported. Any signs for anyone with low mental health include:
If you see anyone with these signs, talk to them, make them feel safe and make sure they are doing all right. Several different mental health issues, ranging from minor to severe, can be found in young people however some of the most common issues in young people include ADHD, anxiety problems, behaviour problems (such as bipolar disorder), and depression.
If you feel you may have or know someone who is having severe problems with mental health there are many helplines you can use including:
It is vital to teach young people how to deal with, recognise, and approach mental health so we can help determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choice.