A new report published by the Anna Freud Centre today finds that 93% of over 3,000 young people surveyed in the UK want mental health to be brought into the classroom, and for conversations about mental health to be normalised in schools and FE colleges.1 The report emerges as the coronavirus pandemic and closure of schools has had a profound impact on children and young people’s mental health. In England, the proportion of children and young people with a probable mental health disorder has risen from one in eight in November 2017, up to one in six in July 2020.

These findings are published as the Anna Freud Centre launches Mentally Healthy Schools for secondary schools and FE settings, the UK’s first information and resource hub offering free, quality assured mental health resources and guidance for education professionals. This follows the success of the primary school hub which has been accessed over 1 million times.

Action Mental Health’s Operations Manager, Resilience and Well-being, Amanda Jones said the findings of the report reflect a similar experience among Northern Ireland’s children. Young people here have been impacted by issues of loneliness, loss of routine, uncertainty about exams and the future, alongside fears of bringing Covid-19 home to their loved ones.

The new report highlights the importance of trusted relationships in young people’s lives as they face the challenges of growing up and amidst the pressures of the pandemic. Although some say they won’t speak to anyone when they are struggling, many will turn to friends. Over 92% of respondents identify friendships as the main factor positively impacting their mental health. Students said more mental health should be taught in schools as it is important for supporting their own and each other’s mental health, because mental health matters, and to encourage people to self-support and avoid being isolated.

As one student says: “It is just as important as physical health and not talked about enough. People feel too ashamed to get help and this needs to change.”

Staff in schools and FE colleges are valued by students as trusted sources of information and support, with 52% of young people saying they would talk to a member of staff about their concerns. So while schools have made great advances in supporting their students, there is more work to be done to open up conversations about mental health. For those who would seek support from someone in school, they are most likely to turn to a trusted teacher.

Nearly a quarter of respondents said the main benefit of discussing mental health at school was that it is easier than talking to family, and one in five young people said that having a friend or peer for support was the main benefit of discussing mental health topics in school. The most important topic areas young people said they would like to learn more about were depression and anxiety, body image and identity. The new findings are from a survey of over 3,000 young people in the UK aged between 11 and 19, who were asked about their mental health and wellbeing.

All are within secondary schools or FE colleges. The survey was conducted between 16 November 2020 and 1 January 2021 by the Anna Freud Centre and its findings are reported in “Working towards mentally healthy schools and colleges: the voice of students”.

Jaime Smith, Director of the Schools Programme at the Anna Freud Centre, says: “From these new findings, we hear the voices of students at this critical time for schools. They tell us that the current generation of children and young people, who are living through the pandemic, actively want to learn and talk more about mental health. We should embrace their openness as a genuine opportunity for schools to prioritise mental health and wellbeing”. She adds, “We need to support all school staff, parents and carers, governors, and students to work together to take a whole-school approach to mental health. This has never been more crucial than now, when it is essential that children and young people are able to turn to someone they can trust for support in times of distress – whether that includes their own friendship groups, school staff or the other trusted adults in their lives.”

Dr Alex George, recently appointed by the Prime Minister as Youth Mental Health Ambassador, says: “This has been an incredibly challenging time for everyone, and schools and colleges play a critical role. Mental health problems among young people were rising before coronavirus, but successive lockdowns have increased problems”.

He continues, “Following the return of schools, we expect many more children will need increased help. Without timely support, mental health distress in children and young people can have a devastating impact on their lives in the years to come. School staff will need help to fully support their students. It is only by all of us working together and talking openly about mental health that we can ensure all schools become mentally healthy. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to put mental health at the heart of schools and colleges.”

Throughout the UK, there are already a range of polices in place for mental health education in schools and FE colleges. In England, these include The Green Paper on children and young people’s mental health, as well as Health Education and Relationships Education (for primary settings) and Relationships and Sex Education (for secondary settings). These are now compulsory parts of broader PSHE education. Mentally Healthy Schools was launched in 2018 by the Anna Freud Centre’s Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge. It has been funded by The Royal Foundation as a legacy project of the Heads Together campaign.

Action Mental Health’s Operations Manager, Resilience and Well-being, Amanda Jones commented: “The report published by the Anna Freud Centre echoes what we are hearing from our children and young people across Northern Ireland. We know they are coping with many issues including loneliness, loss of routine, uncertainty about exams and the future, fears about Covid-19 and the worry they carry about the possibility of bringing the virus home to their loved ones.

“Action Mental Health is also hearing from schools that they are concerned about how they can support their children and young people to maintain positive well-being and build their resilience in the face of this adversity, and how they can help those children and young people who may need additional support,” she added.

“Action Mental Health has worked with the Anna Freud Foundation in the development of The Mentally Healthy Schools Hub. This excellent, accessible hub includes quality assured mental health and emotional wellbeing resources for schools and FE Colleges specifically designed to include local information and support services.

“Our AMH MensSana teams continue to provide free emotional well-being and resilience programmes for primary and post primary schools and FE colleges across Northern Ireland. These programmes have been proven to help children and young people to maintain positive well-being and to access help when they need it, as well as helping teachers to understand how they can support emotional well-being in their setting and the importance of also looking after their own mental health and well-being.”

Read more here.

Being a young carer is difficult at the best of times, but during the past year of the coronavirus pandemic, young carers are feeling more stressed, anxious, isolated and fearful than ever before.

Today is Young Carers Day 2021 and as we shine the spotlight on life as a young carer, their personal experiences – in their own words – makes for stark reading.

A study by the Carers Trust has reported a steep decline in the mental health of those classed as young carers – with some carers being as young as 12 years of age. It found that many are fearful for their futures and in the most extreme cases, young carers were looking after others for up to 90 hours per week.

The survey showed the pandemic’s dramatic impact on wider well-being:

• 40% of young carers and 59% of young adult carers say their mental health is worse since Coronavirus.
• 67% of young carers and 78% of young adult carers are more worried about the future since Coronavirus.
• 66% of young carers and 74% of young adult carers are feeling more stressed since Coronavirus.
• 69% of both young carers and young adult carers are feeling less connected to others since Coronavirus.
• 11% of young carers and 19.7% of young adult carers report an increase of 30 hours or more in the amount of time they spend caring per week.
• 56% of young carers say their education is suffering since Coronavirus.
• 52% of young adult carers feel overwhelmed by the pressures they are facing now.
• 49% of young adult carers are struggling to look after themselves.
• 50% of young adult carers are having to spend more money due to Coronavirus.
• 66% of young carers and 71% of young adult carers are less able to stay in touch with friends since Coronavirus.

15 year old male carer: “I am unable to do my school work properly. I am finding it hard to concentrate because I am worried about the person I care for. And my mental health is going downhill which is making this situation a lot harder.”

12-year-old female carer: “When I was in school that was the time for me. Now every day is the same.” I haven’t been able to get out and talk to all my friends after school. I haven’t been able to go over to family’s houses to stop for a break.”

16-year-old female carer: “It has made me feel major cases of depression and anxiety. I feel trapped. Before my freedom to go out was larger now I have to be careful which is fine but I don’t go out as much and I feel like I’m losing confidence and my connection with my friends. I have also been gaining a lot of pent up emotions.”

18-year-old male carer: “I feel as if it has made it more difficult to care for my father as I have been unable to take care of myself properly.”

12-year-old female carer: “I have lost contact with my friends and I have lost confidence in myself. My overall motivation is very low.”

13-year-old: “It has put more stress on me and my education and has made my anxiety so high.”

14-year-old male carer: “Caring for much longer, Too much work piled in front of me from school, no support from teachers,  not being able to contact friends quite often and having no time for myself to do things that normal teenagers are able to do.”

Local help and support

But help is out there. There are local avenues of support that understand what it is like to be a young carer and have useful information and advice. Some also organise fun things to do and give you the opportunity to meet other young carers.

These include:

• Action for Children Young Carers Service
  • Telephone: 028 9046 0500
  • Website: Supporting young carers
• Barnardo’s Young Carers Service
  • Telephone: 028 7963 4402
  • Website: Young carers – Barnardo’s
• Crossroads Caring for Carers
  • Telephone: 028 9181 4455
  • Website: Crossroads Young Carers

More useful links

• Carers Northern Ireland
• Career discovery (Xello for 11 to 19 year olds)
• Children’s human rights
• Carers Trust

Action Mental Health is helping people diagnosed with MS in Northern Ireland cope with their condition through a new support initiative, the Mind My MS project.

Some 400 people are diagnosed with MS every year in Northern Ireland, leaving many reeling from the changes in their everyday life and the shift in what they thought the future posed for them.

Action Mental Health’s specialist counselling service, AMH New Life Counselling is collaborating with the MS Society in Northern Ireland to provide free one-to-one counselling, which is online currently, due to the ongoing pandemic.

The project is now offering places to those living with MS, inviting them to join the network of support being offered, where they may feel the benefit of the camaraderie of fellow sufferers. The project includes Connect Cafes facilitated by the MS Society, Mindfulness programmes delivered by Aware Defeat Depression and counselling provided by AMH New Life Counselling.

The project has been running for a year, delivering valuable support to people living with multiple sclerosis, according to clients benefitting from the service.

One client said:

“Counselling helped me overcome obstacles in my life that were hindering my happiness and it was so good to be able to talk things through. I felt listened to and understood.”

Another said:

“My family say that I am more like my old self, which has made me feel better about myself and my future. I’ve learnt so much about myself and know what to do now, when I am feeling low or anxious.” 

A fellow sufferer added:

“I was delighted with the service and working over the phone really suited me with my health conditions. Thank you so much, for everything – keep up the good work!”

Anyone over 18 living with MS who is interested in availing of this free counselling can contact  [email protected], or https://bit.ly/3mnwNxP.

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AMH New Life Counselling is an Organisational Member of BACP and adheres to the Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions  Visit the BACP website for more information : https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/ethics-and-standards/ethical-framework-for-the-counselling-professions/

The talented bunch from Fermanagh Men’s Shed – based at Action Mental Health’s New Horizons service in Drumcoo, Enniskillen – have been working with David Bolton from the Fermanagh Beekeepers Association to produce wooden bee boxes.

The boxes are made to tried and trusted dimensions to provide just the right accommodation for the bees. The “Shedders” have also created a detachable top and front on each box. The aim is to increase the population of wild bees in Fermanagh and in doing so to increase the population of pollinators in the county. The boxes will be monitored remotely using a device similar to those used in shipping containers to record the internal humidity and temperature.  This means that it will be possible to detect when a swarm of bees arrives and takes up residence in the boxes and when they leave! The boxes will be strapped to trees at a height of about 10 – 15 m above the ground with a recording device secured inside.  Then it’s just a matter of waiting for the bees to arrive and decide to move in.

David Lowe of the Men’s Shed said –

“this has been a great project to be part of and has kept the woodworkers in our Shed busy during Covid! We are looking forward to hearing how the bees of Fermanagh like their new accommodation!

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Men’s Shed is a project for men aged 50+ to share skills, socialise and connect with their wider community. Action Mental Health run 3 Sheds in Steeple Antrim, Downpatrick and Fermanagh, for more information visit here.

Celebrating the brave women transformed by Action Mental Health

Today we celebrate International Women’s Day. All over the world, young girls, women, mothers, sisters, friends and matriarchs of all creeds and colour are being placed in the spotlight to mark the contribution they make to humankind.

In an era of a global pandemic, much of the focus will be on the tireless efforts of the women doctors, nurses, health professionals and key workers who have helped steer the rest of us – men and woman alike – through these frightening times.

Closer to home, Action Mental Health today salutes the brave women who have come through the doors of its AMH New Horizons recovery centres, seeking a better life after experiencing periods of mental ill health. Whether it’s a longing to return to employment they’re after, or a second bite at education and training or simply to gain the support of those in a similar position, the woman of AMH New Horizons has contributed much and gained much in return.

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Client Tammy-Lee Feenan is one such woman who has faced many obstacles in her young life. And still emerging from the difficulties of her past, she is already a more confident woman with greater life chances – all thanks to AMH New Horizons Downpatrick.

Tammy-Lee, 24, was a spa therapist when repeated seizures led to her having to give up a job she enjoyed. Investigations by doctors found that the seizures were likely caused by post-traumatic stress disorder, following the traumatic discovery of a family friend who had died by suicide. She was only 17 at the time.

When, at the end of 2018, the enforced separation from her job led to Tammy-Lee becoming depressed, she was referred to AMH New Horizons Downpatrick in the new year of 2019. Within a very short time she felt better.

“I was nervous at the start and though I’m not shy, I kinda stood back when people were all chatting, and I might have gone outside while they got into a group chat, but my key worker was so good at encouraging me to join in.”

Being offered a variety of courses, one of her favourites is the horticulture classes, following a life-long love of gardening she first enjoyed with her grandmother. The classes have helped fire a renewed interest in gardening and her partner has now built her a flower bed in her garden, to allow her to indulge the hobby at home, as well as at New Horizons.

She’s completed a raft of other courses also, including employability training and nationally recognised vocational courses. She’s undertaking a number of NVQs and she is even preparing to return to college in the autumn to train for a beauty training diploma to allow her to teach the subject.

And having gleaned so much from her many tutors at AMH New Horizons, including her Employment Officer, she hopes to give something back to the charity when it’s her time to move on.

“I want to give something back. I’d like to teach something here in AMH New Horizons like beauty or something to other clients and to give back something because they were so good to me.”

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Jackie Booth, 61, was once a high-flying career woman in Switzerland but in later life experienced issues like OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) which led her to feeling like ending it all.

But after rediscovering her better self, following a number of years with Action Mental Health, she is calling on women to seek out and ask for help if they need it – when they need it.

“As women we are mothers, wives, workers, carers, cooks – everything. For the majority of men, they go out to work and come home and sit down to dinner and get to relax the rest of the evening. For women, we never stop, and we can never be seen to show any fragility, we just have to keep on going, multi-tasking at whatever is going on and it leads to fragility.

“At work, many woman are put down in many aspects while more men can progress unhindered. Women have to work so much harder just to get to the same level,” she says.  

Since attending AMH New Horizons Downpatrick, Jackie has unearthed latent talents at art, which has been her ‘saviour’, as well as poetry. And now, the grandmother, who is originally from Bangor and now living in Killyleagh, is flourishing.

But she is keen to encourage other women who are struggling with their mental health to speak up and get help.

“There’s so much shame and embarrassment attached to mental health and I didn’t seek help early enough, and I was a wreck when I arrived at AMH New Horizons. But women, everyone, must seek help. Help is out there. There are so many fantastic resources out there to help people and going to AMH New Horizons is a great first step in accessing help in the community.”

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Kathryn Charlton, 27, said she was an “anxious mess” when she first arrived at AMH New Horizons Downpatrick a few years ago. But like so many who go through the doors of the charity’s nine New Horizons across Northern Ireland, her life has been turned around.

“In fact I was in near hysteria,” she admits. “But the staff where all very calming and patient with me as they went through everything I would need to know.”

Kathryn, from Saintfield, found that regardless of her anxiety and uncertainty, with the right encouragement and reassurance, she found a way of tapping talents that were otherwise hidden – she even caught the acting bug.

“The tutors were always asking me how I was, and took the time to listen to what I had to say and gave what advice they thought could help. Their caring, advising attitude helped me to open up more in classes and be more involved. This eventually led to me Joining a drama class where I performed a play at the end of the year to show all I had learned,” she revealed.

The drama class then went along to see a play at Belfast’s Lyric Theatre, which she describes as “a great experience as I loved spending time with everyone in that class”.

“They have many classes to help with self-development, all of which I have taken; some of these are confidence-building, stress-busting and assertiveness building. All of these I have found useful and have found myself using bits and pieces from their teachings in my daily life,” Kathryn adds.

The cathartic experience of the creative writing courses at AMH New Horizons Downpatrick, has also helped to build self-esteem.

“I was so inspired by the nurturing work of the tutors that I decided to join the clients’ peer support group, which I later on became a leading member of.    

“AMH New Horizons has done a lot for me. It has continued to build me up from the ground whenever I feel like crumbling. The staff feel like friends whom I can go to whenever I have a problem and they have always celebrated all the trials I have overcome mentally,” she adds.

“They have never, in anyway, let the fact that I am female prevent me from doing what I want to do,” she says, adding that by following the example of other inspiration women, she is confident she can achieve what she sets out to do in future.”

“AMH New Horizons has made me more confident, resilient, assertive and less anxious in myself due in part to the classes I’ve taken and the care they’ve taken with me. The biggest improvement overall is to my self-esteem as a woman, which has never been better.”

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Thanks to Tammy-Lee, Jackie and Kathryn for talking to us to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Clients at AMH New Horizons Downpatrick take part in the ESF ‘Working It Out’ project which is part-funded by the Northern Ireland European Social Fund Programme 2014-2020, Department of Economy and Northern Health & Social Care Trust.  

Action Mental Health today concludes our special focus on Eating Disorders Awareness Week, highlighting the statistics that convey the impact of Eating Disorders on society.

It’s a tragic fact that one in three people who experience Binge Eating Disorder actually consider taking their own lives, while of those with this particular disorder, 40% are male. This particular eating disorder – which affects one in 50 people – affects three times more people than those diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, combined. It’s is also a sad fact that only one in four people with Binge Eating Disorder seek treatment.

Whatever eating disorder you or a loved one may be affected by, help is out there. Whether you talk to a friend, or write your feelings down in a journal, you can find ways of coping. So reach out, seek help and help smash the stigma of eating disorders.

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If you live in the Southern Health Trust Area you can contact the AMH everyBODY Team – T: 028 3839 2314 or E: [email protected]

Do some eating disorders trump others? That’s among the common misconceptions surrounding eating disorders – namely that Anorexia Nervosa is the most serious eating disorder. In fact, all eating disorders are serious mental illnesses. In today’s spotlight on Eating Disorder Awareness Week we bring you the common misconceptions surrounding these issues through a short film, and a tragically common case study of self-loathing – a familiar trait of those experiencing eating disorders.

I usually eat a lot on a Saturday night, Do I classify as having binge eating disorder?

Binge Eating Disorder isn’t just eating a lot of food, most of us will do that at some point. What makes BED distinct is the negative emotions and distress associated with it. A binge is classified as eating, in a short period of time a larger amount of food than would normally be consumed, associated with feelings of being out of control. There is often a build up of tension and anxiety before a binge. Binges are distressing, they bring negative emotions such as guilt, shame and sadness. Binges will usually happen alone in isolation, in secret. These binge episodes will occur at least once a week for 3 months. Overeating at times is completely normal, when a person overeats they can usually stop at any time.  In contrast a person with BED  will feel like they have lost complete control, the behaviour will feel frantic and people who are in a binge will usually eat at an incredibly fast rate. People with BED may also restrict their diet or have certain dietary rules around food. This can result in binge eating due to hunger and deprivation.

Case Study of self-loathing

For the last 30 years I have tortured myself. Sucked in by diet culture and rules. I thought that was the only way to control my weight, my body shape, my addiction to food and my compulsion to eat

excessively. Over the years it was a vicious circle of achievement and failure, and with more failure came more self-loathing, low self-esteem, and self-hatred for not being able to follow the rules.

Sound familiar?

Until this year. When I was pointed in the right direction and found myself contacting AMH EveryBody.  I was not aware Binge Eating is now considered an eating disorder and that there is help and support out there for us. I very quickly learned that it’s not really about the food but more about the feelings and emotions. I am moving away from ‘success’ and ‘failure’, and ‘good’ and ‘bad’, but more importantly from ‘shame’ and ‘guilt’. I am still learning and working my way through with the guidance and support of AMH EveryBody. I cannot recommend the process enough. Do not be afraid to reach out for help and support. You won’t regret it.

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If you live in the Southern Health Trust Area you can contact the AMH everyBODY Team – T: 028 3839 2314 or E: [email protected]

As Eating Disorder Awareness Week continues, today we examine the issue of positive body image and offer advice on helping you to deal with those days when you most suffer from negative body image.

It’s worth looking at some recent clinical research on the very important issue, states AMH everyBODY Project Worker Deborah McCready.

“People who accept themselves are more likely to engage in health promoting behaviours. Research (Cohen et al 2019) showed that viewing body positive content was associated with improved mood, body satisfaction, body appreciation and self-care.  In contrast, it is evidenced that weight stigma (WHO – “negative attitudes, and beliefs about others because of their weight”) poses a health risk.

“Shame and stigma cause people to avoid medical treatment, gyms, social interactions, whilst also contributing to levels of chronic stress, shown to contribute to inflammation and poor health outcomes. At its core, body positivity and its principles are about acceptance, inclusivity and respect. It is stating that all body types have intrinsic value,” she says.

The road to recovery is about showing that health is not a one size fits all scenario. “By showing more body diversity and representation we can reduce some of the body dissatisfaction that is caused by shaming and alienating certain body types. When we show respect and encouragement to all body types we can help to put an end to some of the harm weight stigma causes.”

Dealing with Bad Body Image Days

Breathe. Mindfulness is a great way to connect with your body and develop a greater appreciation of it. There are lots of free apps such as Headspace and Oak that can help with this.

Practice body gratitude. What are you grateful for your body for? Think of all the things it does for you.

Write it down. Journaling can be a really healthy outlet for your emotions.

Challenge your inner critic. Practice reframing those negative thoughts. For example, if you think ‘my tummy is too big’, try coming up with a positive thought replacement such as, ‘my tummy contains life sustaining organs that need space to function’

Dress comfortably. If you are conscious about a particular aspect of your body, wear clothes that don’t emphasise your insecurities.

Talk to yourself like you would a friend. What advice would you give them if they told you they were struggling with the way they look?

Be kind to yourself. Create a comfort list of simple things you can do to offer yourself a moment of kindness (music/affirmations/activities).  If you find kindness too difficult using neutral comments can also be helpful. “I have a body but it does not define my worth.” “I am more than my appearance.”

Be mindful of social media. Social media can encourage unhealthy comparison between ourselves and seeming ‘perfect’ others. Be aware that not everything we see online reflects reality. Maybe you need some time to disconnect?

Body image fluctuates. Remember, how you feel is not permanent.

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If you live in the Southern Health Trust Area you can contact the AMH everyBODY Team – T: 028 3839 2314 or E: [email protected]