Children’s mental health charity Place2Be has today launchedthe UK’s first Children’s Mental Health Week (Feb 16-22 February).
Almost a third (30%) of parents of children aged 5-18 admitthey would feel embarrassed if their child wanted counselling in school, andone in five parents (22%) would not encourage their child to take upcounselling in school, even if they asked for it.
The charity says that while it’s positive news that themajority of parents would encourage their child to get support, they stillthink one in five is too many – and they want to make sure that every singlechild has the opportunity to get support when they need it.
The Children’s Mental Health Week campaign hopes to raiseawareness of the benefits of getting children support at the earliest possibleopportunity, and to encourage parents to talk openly with children about theirfeelings and getting help.
The campaign survey also found that:
- Dads were more likely to feel uncomfortable (38% said they’d feel embarrassed, compared to 23% of mums) about their child speaking to a counsellor
- Those parents who are separated were less likely to feel embarrassed than those who are married or in a civil partnership (25% compared to 30%).
Place2Be CEO, Catherine Roche, said: “Mental healthaffects all of us, but there’s still a lot of stigma around admitting we mighthave a problem. It’s particularly difficult for children who don’t always havethe words to express how they’re feeling.
“Dealing with issues early and helping children talkopenly about their worries can make all the difference, and ensure that smallproblems now don’t turn into more serious mental health issues for adults. We’dencourage parents and carers to take a look at the ideas and tips on ourwebsite about how to start that conversation today.”