Hannah Kinsey Of YoungMinds Highlights The Need For Openness And Honesty When Discussing Mental Health And Wellbeing

A Q&A with Hannah Kinsey, training and consultancy manager at YoungMinds, the UK’s leading charity championing the wellbeing and mental health of young people.

What do you mean by mental health/wellbeing? When our mental health is good, we feel positive about ourselves, enjoy being around others and feel able to deal with life’s challenges. We all go through times when we feel worried, confused or down. But when it starts to feel difficult to do everyday things like hanging out with friends, getting work done or doing the things we normally enjoy, this could mean we have a problem with our mental health.

How does the social stigma affect those experiencing mental health problems? If young people feel that they will be judged by their peers, by adults and by others for admitting or talking about the fact they struggle with their mental health they are far less likely to seek help or discuss their problems. The stigma and misunderstanding that still exists around mental health can make young people experiencing mental health problems, feel ashamed and feel that they have to hide their issues.

According to young people, what support makes a difference? Young people tell us that one of the most important things that professionals can do is provide a safe space for them and listen to them non-judgmentally. Acknowledge their emotional distress and work with them to identify their own support networks and navigate their way to resources and people who can help. It is important to show care and respect to young people and to encourage a positive culture of support within a school environment.

What can teachers and support staff do to help? It is vitally important that teachers and professionals feel confident talking about mental health issues both in schools and other settings, so training in mental health and resilience is a good place to start. The earlier these things are brought up and addressed, the better in terms of young people getting a positive outcome. In education it is hugely helpful for the whole school community; including pupils, teachers and parents, to have a better understanding of how to build and promote resilience and positive mental health and emotional wellbeing.

Are there any useful resources to support education staff? On the YoungMinds website there are a number of free resources to help education staff to support their pupils’ mental health and emotional wellbeing. These include free tools to implement the whole school Academic Resilience Approach, videos, lesson plans and information on our training and consultancy support. There is also an upcoming e-learning course on children and young people’s mental health produced by YoungMinds for EduCare.

To find out more, visit educare.co.uk/youngminds, and to register your interest in the Mental Wellbeing training course visit educare.co.uk/coming-soon.