Positive mental health gives Young People a sense of security and contentment, facilitates positive social interactions, and enables the steady development of critical competencies and life skills.
Experiencing a range of emotions throughout life is healthy. Feeling helpless and out of control is not.
By actively strengthening youth mental health, we can equip young people to process, regulate, and manage their emotions productively.
How to support someone who is displaying signs of distress or decline in their Mental Health
Stay Calm and Engage in Active Listening
When someone reveals they're struggling, your initial reaction is important. Maintain an open, non-threatening body posture and resist the urge to interrupt. Use cues such as nodding or phrases like "I understand" to assure them you're wholly present.
Offer Empathy, Not Platitudes
Make sure to recognise and validate their feelings. Phrases like "I'm here for you" or "Thank you for sharing this with me" can be comforting. Avoid minimising their feelings with statements like "It could be worse" – these rarely help.
Dive Deeper with Open-ended Questions
Understanding is your main goal here. Questions like "What's been on your mind?" or "How have you been coping?" can help them express and even understand their feelings better.
Resist the Fixer Upper Temptation
While it's instinctive to want to 'fix' their problems, jumping to solutions might make them feel unheard. Listen first, and offer advice much later, and only when sought.
Gauge Their Safety
If you're worried about their immediate well-being, ask them calmly if they've had thoughts of self-harm. It's a challenging question, but it's necessary in ensuring their safety. If they are at risk, contact emergency services or take them to the emergency department.
Encourage Professional Support
Therapists, counsellors, and medical professionals are trained to help. Encourage your loved one to seek their guidance. Offer assistance in finding resources if needed.
Offer Practical Assistance
Sometimes, the smallest gestures, like helping to find a suitable therapist or offering to accompany them to an appointment, can mean a lot.
Maintain the Connection
Reach out and stay connected after the conversation. A simple "How are you doing today?" can reinforce your support, and remind them that you're there to help on their journey.
Stay Informed
Educate yourself on mental health, the signs, the solutions, and available resources. The better informed you are, the more effective your support can be.
Don't Neglect Your Well-being
Supporting someone emotionally can be draining. Ensure you're also reaching out and getting the support you might need. Remember, you're not a replacement for professional help. Do what you can, but also recognise your boundaries and limitations.
In conclusion, when someone says they're not okay, they're taking a brave step in reaching out. Your role is not necessarily to solve their problems but to be a beacon of support. Lend an empathetic ear, offer assistance where you can, and remember, sometimes, just being there can make all the difference.
Reference: 10 Steps | Supporting Someone Struggling with Mental Health Northside Psychology, September 14, 2023
How to seek support
- It helps a lot to just talk and share our feelings! A great place to start is with friends and family, however if it doesn’t feel safe or comfortable to talk to those people, there are local services that provide a safe space for young people to talk about whatever is impacting them. See our link below for some options (new click box)
- Organise to see your local General Practitioner for a mental health assessment. If you have Medicare, they can set you up with a Mental Health Care Plan (Medicare subsidised treatment) & link you to professionals in your area that can help your specific situation. The kinds of questions that the General Practitioners may ask you so that they gain a deeper understanding of your state of mind can be seen here: screening questionnaires. If you don’t have access to Medicare, it will cost you. So an alternative is to seek assistance from a free community health service that can refer you to a service that can meet your needs.
- If you are needing to talk to someone immediately, call Lifeline (13 11 14) or Kids Helpline (under 25yrs) (1800 551 800), to see someone face to face, visit a Headspace.
- In an emergency call 000, or go to a hospital emergency department, where they can provide a psychiatric assessment and immediately refer to the services needed to help you, wavering waitlist times for some services when urgency is required.
