Children & Young People’s Mental Health Resources

Looking back I think I was anxious very early - perhaps 6 or 7? I know for definite that by 10 I was experiencing low moods as I realised I was not like other children , feeling isolated and not having answers for why I couldn’t do things like others or why my feelings seemed so different. In spite of long warm 1970s summers, I felt like I was living under a cloud.

Now I know that emotional disregulation and mental health problems are high in the autistic and ADHD population - in fact, researchers have found that ADHD is associated with more mental health problems than autism alone.

I was incredibly fortunate - my parents were supportive even though we had no clue what was going on. I found passions that absorbed me - art and dance, reading fiction and a love of learning that has never left me. In spite of this I sailed close to the wind and had various problems that caused long term health changes.

What can we do NOW to help young people who might be on the path to an ADHD or Autism diagnosis? who have one but still experience deep internal distress, emotional disregulation and are having problems because of that, along with their neurological differences making academic and daily life harder?

I’ve gathered together a collection of organisations and articles here that you can reach out to, read their materials and share with others who are involved with your young person and their care. The list will be updated regularly and I will do my best to check they are reliable and regulated sources of information.

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Organisations and Charities: UK

National and local organisations, groups and charities. Updated February 2023.

• Salvesen Mindroom - Scottish charity that supports, informs and empowers children and young people living with learning difficulties. Our vision is to become an internationally recognised centre of excellence in neurodiversity to help create a world in which no mind is left behind.

• Mind (Young Person’s Guide) - Mental Health Charity (adults, young people, those supporting people in pain).

• ADHD Foundation: Neurodiversity Charity - Links to children’s resources.

• Family Lives - Family Lives provides targeted early intervention and crisis support to families who are struggling. They support families with include family breakdown, challenging relationships and behaviour, debt, and emotional and mental wellbeing.

• Action for Children - Their work helps equip young people and their parents with skills to cope with life. One in 10 children in the UK experience mental health problems. Of those they work with, 74% show an improvement in their mental health.

• PansPandasUK - They raise awareness of the symptoms and treatment options for healthcare professionals so that they are better equipped to recognise when a child may have PANS or PANDAS. They provide training in educational settings so that families and children living with these conditions receive the support they so desperately need.

• ADHD UK - Offers video support groups, as well as information about ADHD in schools for teachers, and much more.

• PEACEPathway - Autism and Anorexia resources (mainly for adults but this project will be expanding across services).

• CAMHS Resources - many free downloadable brochures and books with information for young people and adults.

• Your Local Authority - find out which local authority you live in, then search their website for support or courses available.

• Extra Support at School - Advice from the National Autistic Society setting out clearly how to structure an individual plan for a child’s educational support. This page is clearly written and applies for all neurodevelopment differences.

• Enquire - a Scottish charity focused on education but with helpful advice and links for all stages of school age children.

• Brain Charity - UK Charity with support for adults and children, covering a lot of areas including accessing benefits.

• CYPMHC - coalition of English charities, organisations and professionals formed in 2010 to coordinate best practice, research and initiatives for the mental health of children and young people.

• SENDIASS - The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information Advice and Support Services (SENDIASS) offer information, advice and support for parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This service is also offered directly to young people.

Organisations and Charities: International

International - organisations, groups and charities: Updated February 2023.

• CHADD - Based in the USA, this large charity supports adults and children, as well as offering up to date research and organising one of the largest conferences in the world on ADHD.

• Child Mind Institute - USA based charity: resources, support, teacher toolkits etc.

• World Health Organisation - International organisation: toolkits, factsheets, news and recent information

• OECD Paper on social media and mental health of young people.

• ACAMH - Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health - professional articles, best practices, podcasts etc.

• Raising Children - Australian parenting support site

• MindHK - Hong Kong based mental health support services (53% of young people in HK show depression symptoms)

• Steve Fund - supporting the mental health of young people of colour.

Other Sites and Resources

I am gathering information about mental health and wellbeing for young people, their parents and professionals.

This post is a work in progress and will move to a separate page shortly.

“Mental health...is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”

— Noam Shpancer

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