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Showing posts with label buddy bench Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label buddy bench Ireland. Show all posts

How to Spot Depression in Children and Where to Get Help

Buddy Bench

It is one of the hardest things for a parent to cope with - to see your child suffering from mental health problems, with no real idea what has gone wrong or how you can help them. 

Signs of mental health problems in teenagers and children are sometimes dismissed as angst, but a recent UK Government-funded survey has revealed why we should be taking the issue much more seriously.

At the age of 14, a quarter of girls and one in 10 boys show signs of depression, researchers from UCL Institute of Education and the University of Liverpool found. The causes include stress, body image issues, bullying and social media pressure – all of which are typically experienced by teenagers and children in day-to-day life and may have a greater effect than you think.

Those from poorer or mixed ethnic backgrounds have a greater risk of showing signs, the survey of more than 10,000 children taking part in the Millennium Cohort Study found, while girls are more likely to suffer than boys.

Emma Saddleton, helpline manager at children’s mental health charity Young Minds, says: “Most young people experience ups and down during their teenage years and occasionally will feel down or upset by things going on in their lives. They might be adapting to a change in their family or school life, or just trying out new emotions, and will generally grow out of worrying behaviour.

“But some young people feel sad, lonely, down, anxious or stressed for longer periods of time to the extent that it can affect their everyday lives and can prevent that young person from doing things they would normally do.”

For early intervention, you should look out for the following signs:

1. A lack of motivation or interest
One sign of depression is a severe lack of motivation. This might come in the form of caring very little about their grades, showing little interest in hobbies, or even going out to see friends. Make note of what they’ve been enthusiastic about before, but may not be now.

2. A feeling of intolerance or irritation
Intolerance or irritation can be shown in a few different ways. They might cope by snapping or causing arguments more often than usual. Perhaps they’ve suddenly shown a sudden dislike to something or someone for seemingly no reason or frustration builds much quicker than it used to.

3. A feeling of hopelessness or helplessness
Look out for indications of helplessness in the things your child or teen says. They might think that nothing they can do will help improve their grades or improve relationships with friends. In some cases, they may become more reckless when thinking their actions no longer have consequences.

4. Lack of self-esteem
A lack of self-esteem can be evident in small actions that might be mistaken for typical teenage habits. Your teen might fret a lot over their outfits or appearance, constantly going back in to their room to change. They might worry over small outings such as going over to the shop for a pint of milk or meeting family friends.

5. Difficulty in making decisions
Although many people have trouble with making decisions, in an extreme case, this could be a sign of depression. Look out for signs of becoming easily frustrated or tearful when faced with a choice or decision.

6. They are no longer finding enjoyment in life
If your child or teen lacks excitement for things they would have previously enjoyed for a long period of time, this could be a strong indicator of depression. They might not care for an upcoming party or a meal they love. Become aware of how often they smile or laugh when watching TV or scrolling through their phones.

7. Changes in patterns of life
Other signs that may be easier to spot include changes in eating and sleeping habits. If your child or teen is eating or sleeping significantly more or less, it might be time to take the symptoms more seriously.

Useful Websites for Young People





 https://www.jigsaw.ie/jigsaw-services/get-in-touch/

 https://www.shine.ie/contact/

 http://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/teens/
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How Schools Cope After a Tragic Death !

buddy bench ireland

77 secondary students died by suicide last year and the impact on schools is enormous  

How can a school cope with that empty desk in the classroom? Just yesterday, the student was there. Today, they are gone, lost to suicide at a young age. The sudden death of a young person turns a school upside-down, leaving their classmates distraught and vulnerable.

Teachers have to help the students through the trauma and the principal needs to manage the crisis while ultimately returning to some kind of normality. It’s an enormous and highly sensitive task.
Last year, there were 77 suicides among secondary school students, with 66 boys and 11 girls losing their lives. The youngest was just 12 years-old. But it’s not the only crisis that can hit a school, with children, parents and teachers among those who can be lost to accidents or illness.

In 2005, five schoolgirls died in a Co Meath bus crash. Principals and teachers also deal with child abuse, community disasters and disappearances as well as robberies and violent crimes, students becoming ill and requiring medical attention and trauma from witnessing a distressing incident.

On Valentine’s night 1981, 48 young people died and 214 were injured in the Stardust disaster when fire engulfed a disco on Dublin’s northside, devastating the local community and many schools particularly in the north Dublin area.

Shane moran
Shane Moran, psychologist and school chaplain, with staff and students at Largy College, Clones, Co Monaghan
Shane Moran is a counselling psychologist, teacher and chaplain with 20 years of experience in education. Drawing on his experience, he has written a book, The Clouds That Can Surround A School, which focuses on responding to and managing a critical incident. It’s a timely, concise and necessary read for educators and, Moran hopes, will be a useful resource.

“A few years back, I was asked to attend a school after a suicide to help management cope with the trauma,” says Moran, who works in Largy College, a secondary school in Clones. “They really wanted to help the staff and students through this very hard time, but there was some chaos. The principal tried to take it on by himself, while other staff were left blind.

“So, using what’s known as the pyramid model, we focused on the most at-risk students and proceeded to get consent from parents to help them through the days ahead.”

Teachers wonder what they should do and whether they could have prevented a tragedy. Children struggle.

“A young person is talking to their friend one night and the next day they are dead. That is such a trauma,” says Moran. “We need to touch base with that student, reassuring them and assessing their mental health and to make sure they are not isolated. If I have concerns, I feed these back to the team.”

Critical incidents
Moran categorises critical incidents under the headings of yellow (relatively minor), amber (more serious) and red (very serious) and has been involved in nine red-level critical incidents.

With his support and guidance, Cavan-Monaghan ETB has developed a set of guidelines that swing into action when a school experiences a critical incident. It’s backed by a network of professionals and it is one that other schools and ETBs are looking to as a best-practice model.

In the days after the crisis, Moran meets with psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (Neps) and draws up an hour-by-hour plan. Memorials have to be addressed sensitively, some level of normality is best for the school and the most vulnerable staff and students need to be supported.

It’s a model built on bitter experience, with Cavan and Monaghan having experienced significant levels of tragedy in recent years. Addiction, social and family problems, inward migration from Dublin coupled with disconnection from the local community, poverty and unemployment and lack of local facilities have all played their part.
Social media

Moran believes the pressures placed on young people by social media have also contributed.

“I’m like a firefighter, dealing with the aftermath of crisis but I’d much rather we try to prevent the fires in the first place, and this requires investment in guidance counselling and student support,” he says.

“School is a second home and place of safety and stability for young people. When something happens to our kids, we feel this trauma here.”

In the days after a loss, the whole school feels what Moran calls the “wallop effect”. In the book, he outlines advice for principals in how to deal with the media, how to work with Neps, how to strike a balance between providing an outlet for grief and upending the school for weeks on end and, ultimately, how to return to normal.

“It is a tough time for the school but, in my experience, they become stronger after a severe critical incident. They pull together and become more resilient. The staff become kinder. There’s a shared solidarity and a sense that they can get through this together.”

The Clouds That Can Surround A School by Shane Moran is available on Amazon, and  in Eason’s.

With thanks to Shane Moran and courtesy of Peter McGuire (article author).










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Why We Need To Make Mental Health Complusory in All Schools


Buddy Bench Ireland
Friendship & Empathy being key

Schools are where children and young people spend most of their day. It’s where friendships happen and where relationships form. It’s where they find their self-worth – in popularity, in sports, in achievements.
And it’s where mental health issues can become obvious – and exacerbated.
Every child will invariably have to deal with stress. It’s likely they’ll also encounter social exclusion, conflicts, or bullying at some stage throughout their lives.

Little Buddies Programme

It’s incredibly important that schools and parents are working together to prove the coping skills needed to live a hapy health life. It is vital that educating children and young people about mental health as a whole.

There’s a growing emphasis on schools providing mental health support. But in the majority of cases, this comes in the form of support only for children who directly ask for it.

Are we accepting that mental health is as important a part of life as physical health.?
PE lessons are compulsory in schools, because we view physical health as a crucial thing our children need to know about. We teach them about eating healthily, staying fit.

But are we ignoring the mental side of things –  and can then lead to the extreme situation were they feel so lost and unable to get help.

Everyone has mental health. Mental health is something that everyone will have to deal with at some point in their life, whether in terms of getting help with mental well-being, helping someone else, or dealing with stressful moments and challenges.

Schools need to be portraying mental health as equally important and crucial as physical health (because it is) – and that starts with making mental health education a compulsory part of education across all schools.

Temple Street Children’s University Hospital's Report

The finding is based on an analysis of the initial assessment forms of 111 children attending the family-based W82GO service at Temple Street Children’s University Hospital in Dublin.

It found that 12% of the children who were bullied were missing days from school. Almost half of those teased were teased by their peers, although a small percentage (2%) were teased by strangers.

Temple Street started its obesity service for children in 2004 and the following year set up the W82GO programme that is delivered by a multidisciplinary team that includes a paediatrician, dietitian, nurse, chartered physiotherapist, and clinical psychologist.


Dr Samantha Doyle, a paediatrician and a member of the W82GO Healthy Lifestyles Programme team, said their analysis revealed a high proportion of emotional and behavioural problems along with bullying.

About 5% of the children were under five years of age, and the average age at initial consultation was around 10 years.

A third (33%) of the children were experiencing emotional difficulties but just under half (46%) were linked to mental health services before starting the programme.

The initial assessment also showed that 26% had behavioural difficulties, with just over half (52%) already attending a mental health service.

Almost a third (30%) of parents said their children had learning difficulties, a figure that is well above the National Council for Special Needs Education estimated prevalence rates of 23% in 2011.

It also emerged that 15% of the children needed some intervention for development delay.
While the degree of developmental delay varied, speech and autistic spectrum disorder made up a large proportion of the difficulties.

The study, published in the latest issue of the Irish Medical Journal, points out that the findings are in contrast to the data collected by The Growing Up in Ireland study, published in 2011.

It showed that most of the nine-year-old children analysed were developing without emotional problems, with 15% to 20% in difficulty.

Early Intervention being Key

Children should learn about mental health from a young age, and wellbeing should also be a fundamental priority in every aspect of the education system. Schools are critical in helping prevent mental health problems escalating, in building wellbeing and resilience and helping young people learn the skills they need to cope in today’s world.’

Lessons need to discuss mental health as something we all have to work on, teaching children relevant skills such as dealing with stress and change, understanding their own moods and thoughts, and recognising when to ask for help.

Wouldn't it be fantastic if all schools were  discussing mental health, breaking down stigma and misconceptions, explaining treatment options, showing young people that there’s nothing ‘wrong’ with struggling – that they’re not weak, or stupid, or failing because they’re finding things difficult – and creating an environment where students actually feel able to not only recognise when they’re dealing with mental health issues, but to ask for help, too.

It’s not just about tackling children’s mental health issues. It’s about equipping them for adult life.


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