As school is back in session, mental health worries for some students actually starts to rise.
It's normal for children to feel anxious about back-to-school changes, and it's important for families to talk with their children about their feelings, what to expect, and set routines to help them transition to the school year.
One in five 3-to-17-year-old children nationally face a mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorder.
Suicide is also the eighth leading cause of death in Utah overall and the first leading cause for kids aged 15 to 24, according to data gathered from the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.
Intermountain Children Health experts want to help parents recognize the signs of when their child needs help, and what resources are available to them.
The number of kids needing mental health support typically starts to rise as students head back to school, and we don't need to wait until a crisis strikes.
Help is available – and more help is on the way.
Intermountain's Children's Health experts say there are ways to set your child up for success with their mental health as school starts.
They worked to develop a mental health toolkit they recommend all parents add to their back-to-school checklist to prepare for the upcoming school year.
The first step in that toolkit is preparation – Set Your Child Up for Mental Health Success:
· Create routines with sleep schedules, mealtimes, active and focus times, and what amount of time should be spent on mobile devices and social media.
· Model enthusiasm about school. Talk to your child about what is exciting about the school year, be it new shoes or a new teacher, or plan to hide a fun note in their backpack each day.
· Help your child anticipate what to expect, such as walking to the bus stop, visiting the school in advance, and when and where you'll see them after school.
· Talk about the day, acknowledging and validating their feelings, and discussing what helps them feel calm in challenging moments.
Next is knowing the signs – looking for distress.
· Changes in behavior or mood. This includes isolation or withdrawal from friends or activities, and eating habits
· Inability to cope or recover. If your child comes home tearful one day, it's a good sign that they can talk to you or show you how they cope and recover from something that was hard. But if your child struggles for a long time or is inconsolable, and unable to recover from a difficult day, that's more concerning.
· Consistently struggling. Rough days can happen. But if rough days happen every morning, or several times a week, or your child is avoiding school, reach out for support.
Then the final piece of the toolkit is resources.
The family pediatrician is always a great place to start. You can seek out therapy options as well. Intermountain has a free Behavioral Health Navigation Line at 833-442-2211.
Intermountain Health has a great resource specifically for "Tweens" the 12-15 age group where they have new emotions, new hormones, and struggles navigating and talking about a lot of them.
You can go to talktotweens.org.
These resources, from the experts at Intermountain Primary Children's Hospital, can help parents and teachers start conversations with children and help them identify, express, and manage their feelings in a healthy way. The free "Talk to Tweens" tools, which can be downloaded in both English and Spanish, include conversation starters, a downloadable Feelings Wheel, and additional tips for families.
And of course, if the child is in a crisis, call the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988. This resource offers free support for everyone, whether you or someone you love, adult or child, is in crisis.
For more information please visit: Intermountainhealth.org/childsafety.
