Your mental health
When we talk about 'mental health' we're talking about how we think, feel, act and how we are able to cope in general with life.
Everyone feels worried, sad or stressed about things, but its how we deal with this that tells us what our mental health is like.
Looking after our mental health is just as important as our physical health because it helps us to:
- feel less stressed
- be able to have good relationships with other people
- make good choices in life.
At any time, all people can feel sad, angry, worried and frightened. Children and young people looked after can be more likely to feel this way because they may be:
- missing their family
- upset about the changes in their life
- unhappy about where they are living or not being able to do the things they were used to.
What does a mental health illness mean then?
Everyone goes through being sad, stressed, angry, scared or worried at different times in their life.
If these feelings go on, say for more than a month, and if it gets really bad that you have trouble being able to cope with everyday life, this is what we would call having a mental illness or mental health problem.
Having a mental illness doesn't mean that you are mental or mad. Some of the mental health illnesses you may have heard of could be depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, post traumatic stress disorder.
Who gets mental health problems?
At any one time, almost one in every four people can have a mental health problem so it's more common than you think.
Depression can affect one in every three people at some point in their life. Some of the signs of depression in children and young people can include things like:
- easily losing their temper
- being angry and grumpy very often
- having lots of aches and pains like headaches and stomach aches.
What causes mental illness?
Nobody really knows all the reasons why, but a mental health illness could be something that people are born with or because of what they have experienced in life or a mixture of both.
It could also be that some people find it harder than others to cope with stressful situations in life.
Just because people go through times of stress does not mean that they will go on to have a mental health problem, we just can't tell who will and who won't.
If life does get difficult for you, you can get the support you need so that there is less of a chance of getting a mental health problem.
What does this mean for me?
Children who are looked after tend to have a higher chance of feeling stressed or having mental health problems mainly because looked after children have usually been through a lot more stressful and difficult life events than other young people.
This doesn't mean though that every child looked after will go on to have a mental health problem.
If my parent has mental health problems will I get them too?
Just because your mum or dad has a mental health problem, the chances of you getting one is very low, even if you are feeling very stressed. Some people think that you can 'catch' a mental health illness but this is not true.
How do people get help for mental health problems?
People like psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists and mental health nurses work with people with mental health problems and help them to cope with their life better.
A GP or social worker usually gets a person who needs help with their mental health in touch with the right workers.
You may have heard of the word 'treatment' which is just a plan of how help will be given to a person who needs help with their mental health. Before this help can be given, workers will look at the person's life experiences and problems.
Many people that need help with their mental health find it useful to talk to a professional or they may need medication to help them get better. Sometimes they are given both.
Does everyone who sees a mental health worker have a mental illness?
Just because people see a mental health worker doesn't mean that they have a mental health problem.
The Children and Adolescent Looked After Service do work with children and young people who have a mental health problem, but most of the time, they see young people who are stressed and need some help in making sense of the difficult things that have happened in their lives.