Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through to adulthood.

Wellbeing is defined as a sense of health and vitality that arises from your thoughts, emotions, actions, and experiences. When we have good well-being, we feel happy, healthy, socially connected, and purposeful most of the time.

We promote the 5 Ways to Wellbeing approach to support mental health and wellbeing. These are five simple actions that are known to improve both mental health and wellbeing, as promoted by the NHS and charities such as Mind.

These 5 ways to wellbeing are: 

• Connect
• Be active
• Take notice
• Keep learning
• Give

We tailor our support for our children and young people according to their needs. As part of our ongoing plan, we continue to train staff to identify where pupils' mental health may need some additional help, both from our pastoral staff or access to external services. See below for some of the support available.

• Child and Mental Health Services (CAMHS)
• Service 6 - Happy Head programme
• GP
• Children's 0 - 19 team, including the School Nurse team
• Wellbeing sessions with Happy Karen
• Jogo Behaviour Support
• Nurture Group
• Educational Psychologist
• Ask Normen

We provide the following wellbeing activities for our children and young people:

• Meet and Greet
• Pastoral support
• Drawing and Talking programme
• Protective Behaviours
• Emotion Coaching 

Mental health and mental illness are not the same thing.   Poor mental health and struggling to cope is also different from having a mental illness. A mental illness or mental health disorder is an illness that affects the way people think, feel, behave, or interact with others. There are many types of mental illnesses/ health disorders with different signs and symptoms.

Generally, the difference between poor mental health and mental illness is the nature of and degree to which the difficulties someone is experiencing is having on their wellbeing and functioning (socially, occupationally and academically). Mental illness typically has more of a significant detrimental impact across many areas of an individual’s life than episodes of poor mental health which may be situation specific or time limited.

Anyone of any age, gender, geographical background, race, ethnicity, class, background, religion, ability, appearance, culture, caste, education, economic status, spirituality, sexual orientation can experience mental illness.  

Not sure if you or someone you know is living with mental health problems? Experiencing one or more of the following feelings or behaviours can be an early warning sign of a problem:

Anxiety disorders are one of the most common mental health problems identified in children. Estimates of the rates of prevalence vary greatly from 8% to 27% lifetime prevalence by age 18.

Chronic anxiety disorders are associated with increased risk of other serious mental health problems in later life. Therefore, early identification and treatment is key.

Normal fears vs Anxiety Disorder

Fears and worries are a normal part of child development and the content of fears change according to the individual’s developmental stage.

Anxiety disorders occur when the intensity of the fear or worry is so high that it starts to impact on the child’s functioning and well-being and/or when the anxiety is out of context with their developmental stage.

‘Normal’ fears in development

• Infancy - Loud noises - Heights - Loss of physical support

• 1-2 years - Strangers - Toileting activities - Being injured

• 3-5 years - Animals - Monsters - The dark - Being alone

• 6-9 years - Animals - Lightning and thunder - Personal safety/injury - School - Death

• 9-12 years - Tests - Personal health

• 13 years - Social interactions - Personal injury - Economics and politics

Types of Anxiety Disorder

‘Anxiety disorder’ is a broad term to encompass a number of different types of disorder that lead to the young person experiencing physiological symptoms of anxiety and marked avoidance of feared situations.

Different types of anxiety disorder are:

• Panic disorder                 • Health anxiety

• Agoraphobia                   • Separation anxiety disorder

• Specific phobia               • Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)

• Social anxiety                  • Selective Mutism

Main Key Symptoms

• Physiological symptoms of anxiety
• Negative thoughts or worries
• Avoidance
• Safety behaviours

Special Characteristics in pre-school and school aged children

• Tantrums/behavioural outbursts
• Problems with sleep, including nightmares about feared situations
• Friendships
• Separation from adults
• Illness

How to help

• Talk to your child about the cause of the anxiety
• Make links between physical sensations and anxiety - normalise these sensations
• If possible, encourage your child to face feared situations in a way that feels manageable for them.

Speak to the school or GP if the anxiety persists, or gets worse and when it impacts on functioning, for example, refusing to go to school. 

Find out more

Nip in the Bud | Child Mental Health Resources for Parents and Teachers

Parents Helpline | Mental Health Help for Your Child | YoungMinds

This is a confidential service (unless hate advisors think the young person is at risk). The advisor will listen and give some practical guidance on how to help. If you need further help, they will refer you to a specialist, whether it is a psychotherapist, psychiatrist, psychologist or mental health nurse. They will arrange a phone consultation within seven days.

Home - Calm Harm App (stem4.org.uk)

This is designed to help young people resist the urge to self-harm, it is free and password protected.

Ask Normen

This site is for everyone with an interest in the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people in Northamptonshire. It contains a search tool and links to a directory of services.

Rethink Mental Illness

A mental health charity which provides advice and information on mental health illnesses.

Parents' A-Z Mental Health Guide | Mental Health Advice | YoungMinds

A - Z guide to help your child with their feelings and behaviour, as well as mental health conditions and life events.

Signs That a Child Is Suffering From Mental Health Issues | NSPCC

Advice to help you support children who may be experiencing depression, anxiety, suicidal feelings or self-harm

NHS England » Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHs) Inpatient Services