Wellbeing and mental health

Good mental health and wellbeing is a key component of children’s overall health. It is crucial in all the activities that children and young people engage in, such as learning, playing, interacting socially, communicating and forming relationships. For looked after children, young people and care leavers their life experiences may have had a negative impact in this area. 

Being able to provide the basic building blocks of a good quality of life for our children and young people is an essential part of developing their mental health and wellbeing. This involves providing children and young people with safe and nurturing environments, in which they have the opportunity to learn and to develop into confident and resilient individuals - the adults of tomorrow. 

Mental health and wellbeing covers a range of areas, such as positive emotions, life satisfaction, tolerance, an ability to contribute in social situations, positive relationships, confidence, emotional resilience and a sense of purpose. 

Given its importance, attention to mental health should be integral to all agencies working with looked after children and young people. This is crucial, as we know that how children and young people feel and think is central to the way they live their lives.

Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland

The Scottish Government has outlined a proposed future direction for mental health improvement for 2008 in its consultation paper Towards a Mentally Flourishing Scotland, published in November 2007. 

Local and national discussions have since taken place, and an action plan will be published in summer 2008. Discussions have involved professionals and service users from across many sectors, including education, early years, regeneration, culture, business and employment among others. At the core of the proposals is the aim to address health and social inequalities. A further aim is to target the early years and the mental wellbeing of children and young people, especially those who are at greatest risk of mental health problems.

Mental Health of Children and Young People - A Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care

The report Mental Health of Children and Young People - A Framework for Promotion, Prevention and Care set out recommendations for implementing the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP) report.

It was designed to be used by local agencies as a planning and audit tool to support their work in identifying goals and milestones for continuous improvement in the delivery of services. The Framework was produced by the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Development Group, which was established in 2002 and drew on expertise from the NHS, education, social work and the voluntary sector.

Talking2Ourselves

The Talking2Ourselves website provides information from the perspective of young people about what supports the 'feel-better factor'. Talking to someone, physical exercise, or sometimes just listening to music or having time alone are highlighted as ways of 'feeling good'.

The challenge for the corporate parent is how to support the feel-better factor whilst recognising that, for some, access to a range of specialist or secondary health services will be needed to treat mental health problems or illness. Health services such as Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, therapeutic nurses, art, play or occupational therapists, psychotherapists or child psychologists may well have a significant role to play.

HeadsUp Scotland 

The HeadsUp Scotland project was established in April 2004 to contribute to the range of activity already under way in Scotland to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people. One of the areas it is concerned with is the prevention of mental health difficulties for vulnerable groups, for example looked after children, children of homeless families and children with chronic illness. The project is also supporting the implementation of the recommendations of the SNAP report for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (May 2003).

Mental health and wellbeing can be a complex and challenging area where partnerships between services and agencies are crucial if positive outcomes are to be achieved for looked after children, young people and care leavers.

• Making their way in the world - NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
  A study into the health and social care needs of children and young people, aged 8-16 years old, living in West Glasgow Community Health and Care Partnership who are looked after at home or in kinship care.