Above: a video from the National Institute of Mental Health
What are we calling decades now? We have the 80’s, 90’s, the noughties which was 2000-2009.
After that it was the “twenty-tens”. Therefore 2023 must be in the “twenty-twenties”?
When the enormity of the COVID pandemic hit, the lockdowns in 2020 and 2021 defined the start
of our current “twenty-twenties” as a period of global turmoil. Governments raced to vaccinate
their populations, communities tried to help those in need and many of us had real personal fears
about vulnerable or elderly relatives.
Something which emerged from the lockdown period was a recognition of the negative affect that
isolation may have on our mental health. There were guides on how to keep fit without using
gyms or playing football, but there was also information and warnings in the media about how to
try and deal with mental health issues that people may be having.
The pandemic certainly raised awareness of mental health struggles, but of course it has always
been a problem that many of us will face. For years people who had depression or severe
anxieties had very few methods of coping; there was limited diagnosis and a very damaging
culture of indifference to the subject.
So now we would like to do our part and raise awareness – the Mental Health Foundation has
information suggesting that around one in six children are affected by mental health issues.
These can include depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, eating disorder and self-harm.
Here are some signs of child mental health issues:
Sudden mood or behaviour changes
Sleeping problems
Withdrawal from family life and / or friendship groups
Unexplained physical changes such as weight loss or gain
If you are worried about your child, you should talk to someone:
Speak to your child’s school
Keep speaking to your GP
Look into local services who may be able to help