Stress awareness month: How we support children's mental health

Stress can manifest itself in many ways, and can impact children's mental, emotional and physical health.

At Action for Children, we are committed to building children and young people’s emotional resilience to help them overcome challenges.

We have 43 mental health support services across the UK.

Our main mental health services are Parent Talk and the Blues Programme, both of which are aimed at helping parents and children with their emotional health and wellbeing.

Our frontline staff tell us that children are still struggling with their mental health, with many fearing the cost-of-living crisis and how their families will cope.

New poverty statistics show that there are 100,000 more children growing up in poverty in 2023 compared to 2022. Poverty can place families under stress and negatively impact children's mental health.

Families living in poverty cannot provide a decent standard of living or take part in enjoyable activities with their children.

We're proud to say that last year, Action for Children supported 88,689 children and young people with their mental health and wellbeing.

Thanks to our frontline staff and services, we can continue to be a vital lifeline for families facing poverty.

Our Parent Talk service provides parenting information and advice for parents of children aged 0-19.

Last year, Parent Talk supported 539,842 people, including 6,869 people in one-to-one coaching sessions.

Across our family support services, 74% of parents and carers have improved parenting skills and confidence to support their children effectively.

Parent Talk is now an award-winning digital service and has continued to grow to meet the increasing demand for support.

We've also had an increase in contacts from parents who are worried about their children’s mental health. One in four of our Parent Talk support sessions flag a serious concern for a child’s wellbeing, including issues like self-harm and suicidal thoughts.

The online service, accessible 24/7 and with no need for a referral, is available across the UK

The Blues Programme is our wellbeing programme for young people aged 13-19. Over six weeks, it teaches emotional resilience, and reduces low mood and anxious thoughts.

Last year, the Blues Programme helped over 18,000 children and young people. Of these children:

• 71% indicated an increase in their self-esteem.
• 89% of young people would give the Blues a 4 or 5 star rating.

How exam stress impacted Esther

Esther, 15 years old, was struggling with exam stress so badly that she forgot to eat. She sought out support from Action for Children’s Blues Programme and has been using the mental wellbeing coping strategies she learned.

With your help, we can make sure that all children, young people and families across the UK have access to mental health support. Together, we can help children better manage their stress and build their emotional resilience.

*All statistics used were taken from our 2022/23 Annual Report.