Ask the Expert Series: Supporting your children’s mental health

Like us, there are many different factors that can affect the mental health of youth and children. Genetics, environment, relationships, physical health challenges, life transitions, developmental periods etc are some of the factors that can affect the mental health of children and youth.

In my understanding, these two terms are often used interchangeably, to indicate the presence of a mental illness.

It’s not easy for a parent when their child has been diagnosed with a mental illness. As a first step, encouraging your child to seek professional help would be extremely important. Next, it could be beneficial for you to learn ways to support your child’s difficult emotions, and their use of healthier behaviours in their recovery. The recovery process can often be tiring for the family, and I would strongly encourage parents to seek helpful supports (e.g. friends, support groups etc.) in the journey of healing. In the meantime, finding ways to connect with your child could be helpful to help them know that they are not alone in this journey.

Thanks for asking this question! Parents are in a great position to support the mental well-being of your children because of the bond you share with them. Finding ways to connect with your child can be a good start. You can do this in simple day to day activities by joining them with curiosity while giving your child space to encourage explorations. When big emotions arise, support your child by helping them reflect on their emotions and challenges. Set appropriate limits whenever required, and most importantly, care for and be kind to yourself in this process 😊. There will be times when we make mistakes as parents, and that is okay, as long as we take responsibility for them, and try again.

t’s not easy managing the needs of a child with Autism, I hope you’re having space for yourself! Is your child enrolled in any intervention programme? Getting support from an intervention programme can be very helpful for the child and family to learn methods to cope with the behaviour, communication and sensory needs of your child.