BBC Panorama ‘Kids in Crisis’- A Must Watch For Us All
by Jen Armstrong
The mental health of children is becoming an increasingly worrying topic which although being spoken about, I am evermore concerned with what is actually being done to support these children, or prevent them from developing these issues in the first place.
In this revealing and emotional BBC Panorama, ‘Kids In Crisis’ takes us through the process that many children and families are having to go through in order to gain support from the government funded CAMHS (Child and Mental Health Service). The issue, however, is the lack of funding provided which results in children being dismissed until their mental health issues have deteriorated to such an extent that they are almost at breaking point.
“We were crying out for help for a very long time… She shouldn’t have had to deteriorate to this level.”
The families we see in this panorama are just your average, everyday families with children who have lacked support while going through inner turmoil that parents have been unable support them through themselves. At present, only 1/4 of children with mental health issues are getting help, which is something the government wants to change.
“Our kids are facing a mental health crisis with 1 in 10 kids struggling to cope. Overstretched services are turning kids away.”
Having worked myself as a Family and Child Support Practitioner, I have seen firsthand how children who lack support at a younger age can be greatly impacted in later childhood and young adult life. I have also, however, seen the great benefits of being there to support a child or young person, and their family, while they are going through these issues, and the outcomes can be life changing. Supporting young people through their issues of bullying, self-harm or anxiety, will lead them to having a more positive self concept, greater communication and support from their family and the ability to gain close supportive friendships leading them in to a happy adult life.
So, returning to my main issue at the start- What is being done to support children and prevent the onset of these mental health issues? It’s the absolute necessity to implement support from an early age, one proven method is introducing Wellness into schools and homes which is exactly what we at HERE are trying to achieve. We recognise this need, and not only for children to engage in the practice of calming the mind, relaxing the body and being at peace for moments of their day, but also for parents and families.
“Prevention is better than cure with regards to mental health difficulties and it’s getting in and working with children as early as possible, so by the time they’re 11, they have a toolbox of materials to help themselves before they go to high school.”
With this knowledge, awareness and expertise, we have the ability to make this change and ensure that we don’t read news headlines in weeks or months to come telling us that things haven’t improved for children and families. We want to see and hear that the spread of implementing yoga and mindfulness is greatly benefitting children and families alike.
We are here not only to support your child’s wellbeing through yoga and mindfulness, but also to support yours which is just as important! So you can start by subscribing here to our ever growing community to receive newsletters filled with parenting tips, mindful reminders, yoga & creative activities, alongside info on wellbeing products & events.
Let’s make this Mindful Movement happen!
