Understanding Your Child’s Mental Health | 5 Expert Tips

With the increasing global prevalence of anxiety and depression among children of all age groups, Children’s Mental Health Week gives us a valuable opportunity to pause and reflect on how we can better understand and support our children’s emotional wellbeing.

To put this in context: the Children’s Commissioner reports that the NHS estimates around 1 in 5 children and young people aged 8 to 25 in England have a probable mental health condition — so if you’re worried about your child, you’re far from alone, and there’s a lot parents and carers can do to help.

Children experience the world differently to adults, and they don’t always have the language to explain how they’re feeling. By recognising early signs, creating a safe emotional environment, and knowing when to seek additional support, parents and caregivers can play a vital role in protecting and strengthening a child’s mental health.

Here are five practical tips to help you create an emotionally healthy environment for your child.

Recognising early signs of emotional distress

Understanding your child’s mental health begins with recognising the early signs that something might not be quite right. Children may not always express their feelings verbally, so it’s important to look for changes in:

• Behaviour or mood
• Sleep patterns
• Appetite
• Social interactions or confidence

Withdrawal from activities they once enjoyed, increased irritability, or becoming more clingy than usual can all be indicators of emotional distress.

Observing these patterns over time and trusting your instincts as a parent or caregiver allows for earlier support, which can make a significant difference to your child’s wellbeing.

A concrete, scannable list of things to watch for:

• Withdrawal from friends, family or activities they used to enjoy
• Increased irritability or angry outbursts
• Changes in sleep or appetite
• Falling school performance
• Physical complaints, such as tummy aches or headaches, with no medical cause

Signs of mental health problems by age

Signs can look quite different depending on your child’s age. The National Institute of Mental Health and the NSPCC both highlight these age-based differences:

In younger children, look out for:

• Frequent tantrums or irritability
• Clinginess or fear of separation
• Unexplained tummy aches or headaches
• Changes in sleep or feeding
• Withdrawal from play
  

In teenagers, look out for:

• Loss of interest in things they used to enjoy
• Low energy
• Social withdrawal
• A sudden drop in grades
• Changes in eating or sleeping
• Self-harm, or talk of self-harm — take this seriously and seek support straight away

Common mental health conditions in children

It can help to know the names of the conditions you might come across. NIMH notes that many mental health conditions can begin in childhood, and respond well to early support:

• Anxiety: persistent worry or fear that gets in the way of everyday life
• Depression and low mood: lasting sadness, low energy or loss of interest in things they used to enjoy
• ADHD: difficulty with attention, focus or impulse control that affects school or home life
• Eating disorders: an unhealthy relationship with food, eating or body image

Creating a safe and supportive environment

A nurturing home environment plays a crucial role in supporting your child’s mental health. Show appreciation for your child for who they are, not just who you hope they will become. Feeling accepted helps children develop confidence and emotional security.

Using the silent treatment as a disciplinary tool can leave children feeling ignored or invalidated. Instead, aim to create a space where:

• Mistakes are met with understanding
• Emotions are acknowledged, not dismissed
• Your child feels safe to express themselves

This sense of emotional safety allows children to grow, learn, and self-regulate more effectively.

Encouraging open conversations about feelings

Children often want to feel heard and understood. Encourage open conversations by actively listening without interrupting, correcting, or immediately offering solutions.

Simple, open-ended questions such as:

• “How are you feeling about that?”
• “What do you think might help right now?”

Show your child that their feelings matter.

Avoid constant lecturing or criticism, as this can create emotional distance. Validating your child’s emotions; even when they’re upset, anxious, or confused helps build trust and encourages them to talk openly in the future.

Knowing when and how to seek professional support

There may be times when your child’s mental health needs extend beyond what you can provide at home - and that’s okay. If you notice persistent changes in mood, behaviour, or daily functioning, seeking professional advice early can prevent issues from becoming more complex.

At Doctor Care Anywhere, families can access:

• 24/7 GP appointments
• Mental health practitioners
• Support and clinical guidance on next steps

We also work closely with specialist partners HelloSelf and Towards, who provide structured, evidence‑based talking therapies for children and young people when additional support is needed. This ensures families can access the right level of care at the right time, with clear pathways and clinical oversight.

How to get NHS support: GP and CAMHS

The NHS also offers a free route to support, alongside the options above:

• Start with your GP: they can assess your child and refer them on if needed
• Referral to CAMHS: CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) is the NHS service for children and young people with moderate to more complex mental health needs — a GP is usually the main route in, though schools and, in some areas, parents can also refer or contact local CAMHS directly
• Ask your child’s school too: school staff and school nurses can often help, or support a referral alongside your GP

Exactly how referrals work, and how long you might wait, varies by area, so it’s worth asking your GP practice what’s available locally.

Urgent help and helplines

If your child is struggling right now, these routes can help:

• Childline (0800 1111): free, confidential support for children and young people themselves
• YoungMinds Parents Helpline: advice and support for parents and carers worried about a child or young person’s mental health
• NHS 111 or an urgent GP appointment: for urgent mental health help that isn’t a life-threatening emergency
• 999 or A&E: for a life-threatening emergency, or if your child’s safety can’t be maintained

Empowering your child with resilience tools

Building resilience helps children manage stress, setbacks, and emotional challenges throughout life. You can support this by teaching healthy coping mechanisms such as:

• Talking openly about feelings
• Problem-solving together
• Practising self-care and emotional regulation

Modelling positive behaviours matters too. Apologising when you’ve reacted out of character shows accountability and teaches children that emotional growth applies to everyone.

By supporting your own emotional wellbeing alongside your child’s, you help create a resilient, open, and supportive family environment where emotions are understood, not feared.

Looking after your own wellbeing as a parent or carer

Supporting a child through a difficult time can be draining, and it’s worth looking after yourself too — NHS Every Mind Matters notes that needing support doesn’t make you a bad parent.

• Notice when you’re feeling overwhelmed, rather than pushing through
• Tell someone you trust how you’re feeling — a partner, friend, or your own GP
• Take breaks where you can, even short ones, so you have the capacity to keep supporting your child