By Carla Malseed

AS we mark Mental Health Awareness Week, it may be a good time to pause and reflect on the past year. Children across the country have been out of school, had limited contact with support networks outside the home and have been unable to spend time with friends. Our Childline counsellors have heard from children about the impact this had on their mental and emotional health, with some talking about low mood and others feeling anxious and overwhelmed. And we know the same is true for parents, many have had to juggle work and home-schooling, while others have been furloughed and faced financial difficulties and many have felt isolated.

One mum, who has been receiving support from a practitioner at our Glasgow Service Centre during the past year, described how her mental health had started to go downhill when she was furloughed, and her son, who has autism, was not at school and started to act out. She felt isolated, and didn’t have the usual support from family and friends that she would have had pre-pandemic. She said that by speaking with the practitioner, she could open up about the way she was feeling, and realised that it was normal to have low days, particularly in such circumstances. With the help of our practitioner, she is now coping a lot better with her feelings of anxiety and depression, and as a result can better deal with her son’s behaviour.

Although, now, most children have returned to school and social distancing measures are easing, many people are still experiencing the impacts of the past year. Mental health problems can be difficult to identify, especially for those who are not used to experiencing such feelings. A lack of motivation, a change in eating or sleeping habits, and feeling tearful can all be signs of poor mental health.

It is so important that people recognise when they are struggling and know where they can turn and seek help, before they reach crisis point. When a parent receives support, it is a lifeline to the whole family because a child’s wellbeing is so closely attuned to that of their carer.

Earlier this year, we launched All of Us Govan, with one of the aims of the campaign being to encourage families to seek support and to break down barriers that prevent them from doing so. We teamed up with other local charities and organisations, including the Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, Govan Housing Association, and Thriving Places to give information about the services available to families in the community. The campaign highlights that all parents struggle from time to time; raising children can be hard, demanding, and physically and mentally exhausting, and it’s okay to not know all the answers.

Families have faced so many challenges over the past year due to the pandemic. But it’s important to remember there is help available for those who are struggling. For parenting advice and support people can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000. People can also contact the Scottish Association for Mental Health for mental health advice and support.

Carla Malseed is local campaigns manager, NSPCC Scotland