SINCE Childline was launched 40 years ago, our teams in Yorkshire and across the UK have delivered around six million counselling sessions to children and young people.
In the early days, the majority of contacts to Childline related to sexual abuse, but over the years the reasons for contacting the service have broadened greatly.
Since 2015/16, the top reason for young people contacting the service has been concerns about mental and emotional health, and last year those contacts accounted for a third of all counselling sessions.
On Saturday (October 10), the Mental Health Foundation marked World Mental Health Day - an annual event set up to raise global awareness, tackle social stigma around mental health, and to highlight that support is available.
It is vital that children know that someone is there to support them whenever they are experiencing mental health issues, and they can reach out in confidence whenever they need help.
Our Childline counsellors are available around the clock over the phone and through the website to ensure young people don’t have to face their problems alone.
But we know that taking the first steps towards dealing with mental health problems can feel overwhelming or scary for all of us, not just children and young people. Some might feel they are experiencing something nobody else has ever encountered, while others may feel guilty about feeling a certain way.
They may also lack confidence in speaking to someone about how they are feeling, which can intensify feelings of loneliness, guilt or shame.
Our School Service teams across the UK deliver workshops to primary schoolchildren to let them know it’s always okay to contact Childline or to speak to someone about whatever is worrying them, but it’s a message we cannot repeat often enough.
If World Mental Health Day does anything, we hope it can inspire us to do more to help people we care about to deal with mental health concerns, especially our young people. Remember, accessing help and support early - even just a friendly call or online chat - can help to prevent the long-term impact of mental health issues.
Just as Childline is always there for children, the NSPCC is here to support parents and carers who may be unsure how best to can help a child.
Seeing a child struggling can be incredibly difficult, and while every parent will want to help, they may not always know where to start. The NSPCC website and Helpline offer practical advice, information and support to help them take their first steps.
Children and young people can visit the Childline website not just for chats with counsellors, but for support and advice pages. Drawing, writing and any kind of art or craft can be a helpful way for children to process their emotions, as it can enable them to express themselves and make sense of their situation.
With sections like the Art Box and the Calm Zone, children can explore their feelings safely and creatively, or use tools, games and other resources to help them cope with whatever they are going through.
Mental health concerns can spark feelings of loneliness, and there’s truth to the old adage that a problem shared is a problem halved.
Whether they talk about their feelings to a safe adult like a teacher or relative, their friends or our Childline counsellors, the important thing is that young people don’t go through their ordeal alone.
We all have our worries and concerns and if we don’t address them, these issues can grow, and a child may carry them as they grow up.
If a young person feels they have a network of support, whether that’s in school, with their peers, at home or through organisations like Childline, it helps them take the first steps to tackling these struggles and can set a course for a more positive future.
Childline will always be a safe place for anyone under the age of 19 to turn to if they need help.
Our phone service is free, confidential and open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be reached on 0800 1111. Children and young people can use our one-to-one chat service by logging on at www.childline.org.uk.. Childline’s Art Box can be found at www.childline.org.uk/toolbox/art-box.
Parents and carers looking for advice on how to support children with worries about their mental health can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe for further information.