Mental Health & Well-being/Coping with Bereavement
Broxtowe Mental Health Support Team
Mental Health and Well-being
Mental illness can affect anyone, of any age, of any background, at any time. Similar to physical illness, people do not choose to have a mental health difficulty. They also need the appropriate care to get better. We have an important role to play in supporting mental health in young children and adults and this is a developing area of focus for us all.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), mental health is “a state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community”. (4 Jun 2015)
Anxiety in Children
Just like adults, children and young people feel worried and anxious at times. However, if a child's anxiety is starting to affect their well-being, they may need some help to overcome it.
When young children feel anxious, they cannot always understand or express what they are feeling. You may notice that they:
- become irritable, tearful or clingy
- have difficulty sleeping
- wake in the night
- start wetting the bed
- have bad dreams
In older children you may notice that they:
- lack the confidence to try new things or seem unable to face simple, everyday challenges
- find it hard to concentrate
- have problems with sleeping or eating
- are prone to angry outbursts
- have negative thoughts going round and round their head, or keep thinking that bad things are going to happen
At this time, the pressure on everyone is even bigger and we are living in uncertain times. On this page, we have tried to put together some resources and links that you may find helpful if you need to try to talk to your children about what is going on. There are also some simple activities that are designed to help children to talk about their feelings or to calm down if they feel anxious.
We have also put together some links and resources that may help if you suffer a bereavement in your family or within your close circle of friends. We have many more resources in school so if you need any support please contact the office.
The following webpages provide children and young people with age-appropriate information to explain the coronavirus and the things they can do to help stop the spread of the virus and look after themselves physically and emotionally during this unsettling time
Bereavement
During this time of uncertainty we thought that it might be useful to put together some simple ideas to help you in the event of a bereavement in your family or close circle of friends. We hope, of course that everyone stays safe and well but these resources are here if needed.
Please contact the school office if you need any extra support or advice.
Here are some useful websites: