Health and Wellbeing
Spot the Warning Signs of Poor Mental Health
Learn which small changes in a child can signal poor mental health, and how to judge when a worry needs acting on.
- 24 minutes
- 11 modules
- Certificate
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Parent membership: all 50 courses for parents and carers, £40 a year or £4 a month after 14 days free.
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What you'll learn
- Recognise common warning signs, from withdrawal to changes in weight
- Spot when a drive for perfection has become a cause for concern
- Notice changes in mood, behaviour or lateness and ask what's behind them
- Weigh how long a worry has lasted, and its impact, before deciding what to do
- Use two quick questions to judge whether a behaviour is a real concern
About this course
Children rarely announce that they're struggling. More often it shows sideways: a tummy ache that turns up before every maths lesson, long sleeves on a hot day, a hobby they loved and suddenly drop.
You'll learn a short list of warning signs of poor mental health that adults can pick up in everyday life, and what each one might mean. Some are easy to miss because they look like good news, like the child who throws everything into schoolwork or sport and can't forgive themselves a single mistake.
Above all, look for change in how a child looks, behaves, performs or turns up. When you're not sure whether to worry, ask how long it has gone on and what impact it's having on their life. Checking in with a child never does any harm.
11 modules
Open in order
- 2 min
Introduction
- 3 min
Absence or lateness
- 3 min
Illness
- 2 min
Withdrawal
- 2 min
Loss of enjoyment
- 4 min
Academic change
- 2 min
Hiding body
- 2 min
Weight change
- 1 min
Change!
- 4 min
But should I be worried?
- 2 min
Wrap up