Mental Health Awareness Week 2023

Poster with green ribbons that reads "15 to 21 May 2023 is Mental Health Awareness Week #ToHelpMyAnxiety"

Here we share useful resources for young people and children experiencing anxiety. As well, as useful links for parents/carers and adults struggling with mental health issues.

12 May 2023

As we celebrate Mental Health Awareness Week, it is important to talk about one of the most common mental health disorders - anxiety. Anxiety is a normal emotion in us all, but sometimes it can get out of control and become a mental health problem. Anxiety is characterised by an excessive and persistent feeling of apprehension and worry. It’s usually accompanied by physical symptoms such as sweating, palpitations, and shortness of breath. It is estimated that over 275 million people worldwide suffer from anxiety disorders, making it one of the leading causes of disability globally.

Lots of things can lead to feelings of anxiety, including:

exam pressures
relationships
starting a new job (or losing one)
or other big life events

We can also get anxious when it comes to things to do with money and not being able to meet our basic needs, like heating our home or buying food.

Here you can find tips on how to cope with feelings of anxiety:

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/our-work/public-engagement/mental-health-awareness-week/what-can-we-do-cope-feelings-anxiety

Young people, children and anxiety

Here are some useful guides and resources that may be helpful if you’re a young person, or know young people or children, who struggle with anxiety. Especially during this time of year when exams are taking place.

Kooth

Kooth is an online mental health and wellbeing service for children and young people.

Here are some things to remember about Kooth:

It’s free to use
You’re completely anonymous
No bullying or discrimination can take place
You don’t need any kind of referral to join
Signing up and getting started only takes a few minutes
Nothing is too big or small

What you’ll find on Kooth includes:

Live text-based chat sessions with a member Kooth’s team
Support from an online community of young people.
A range of self-help tools and activities
Helpful content is written by other young people and the Kooth team

To stay up to date with Kooth and find helpful information and tips, you can follow them on their Instagram here @kooth_uk

How to join Kooth:

Whatever you’re going through, you don’t have to face it alone. You can sign up for free today and talk to Kooth about anything, anonymously go.kooth.com/xgKD

Place2Be

Place2Be have created some tip sheets full of practical advice to help young people, schools and families manage stress during exam season.

Parents/carers supporting young people and children

SilverCloud

SilverCloud – aged 16 years+ Online programmes to help ease your levels of stress, sleep better or build resilience. You can choose to use any of the programmes. They are self-help, confidential and secure.

Two new free programmes are available for parents and carers.

Supporting an Anxious Child (for parents and carers of children aged 5 to 11)
Supporting an Anxious Teen (for parents and carers of teenagers aged 12 to 18)

You can find out more about these programmes here

You can sign up to SilverCloud here: https://gm.silvercloudhealth.com/signup/

Self-help resources on low mood and anxiety

These resources provide guidance and information that have all been quality assured by a Clinical Psychologist. There are resources for young children, teens and parents and carers. There are also resources for OCD and ADHD. You can access all the resources here

Support for Adults

Mental health and wellbeing support in Greater Manchester that you can self-refer to:

A ‘one-stop shop’ for services that people can self-refer to. It includes a range of information for adults;

Free online wellbeing programmes
Free digital mental wellbeing support
NHS talking therapies (for anxiety and depression)
Crisis mental health helplines
Shining a light on suicide
Greater Manchester bereavement service.

https://hub.gmintegratedcare.org.uk/mental-health/mental-health-and-wellbeing-support-in-greater-manchester-that-you-can-self-refer-to/

Every Mind Matters

This Mental Health Awareness Week Better Health Every Mind Matters will be helping you recognise symptoms of anxiety and motivating you to get physically active to help reduce these symptoms.

https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/