So now it is clear that many teens will suffer damage to mental health from lockdown what is the government going to do?

[1SayT0mat0]

Because where I live CAMHs are doing sfa and have been woeful throughout.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-53022369

Yes, won’t hold my breath.

I think if my child was having significant mental problems through the lack of social interaction, I’d encourage that social interaction to be re-started with a limited group of friends... irrespective of the rules. Sometimes you have to make judgments that are in the best interests of your family even if that’s against the law.

batters It sounds really really hard. It is great that he worked with the elderly before, so maybe he will enjoy doing something similar again?

Have you considered taking him away in a few weeks when stage 3 happens and doing something fun like surfing/biking/hiking? Even for a day or two somewhere? Give him something to look forward to? He could choose the destination and what everyone will be doing whilst there. It might be time to pull out the stops.
Make a plan for the summer, guided by him.

I agree with Toilenstrips. Yes, some teens are really struggling, but teens/adolescents are no worse off than everybody else in this situation.

There are people who haven’t seen anyone for 3 months and still can’t because they are sheilding. There are people losing their jobs with no chance of getting new ones. There are people who have lost beloved husband/wife during this time and have no support. People whose loved ones are in ICU for weeks, worrying they are going to die.

That doesn’t mean teens/adolescents mental health isn’t important- it is. But as a group, they are not worse of (nor better off) than any other demographic.

We’ll be working and not got money to go away if spending it on mental health anyway.

It’s all very well to say school work is important but when they’re depressed it’s not that easy particularly when everything is up in the air. Motivation has gone. Enforcing work seems to cause more problems. It’s like screens, do you enforce or stand back in this situation?

When children are really low you need help and support. A lot of these things are great if you’re not rock bottom.If you are you need support.

I cannot agree that we will have a mental health crisis on our hands due to loads of teenagers being overly affected by Covid 19 lockdown. Some vulnerable teens who have few social support networks, few friends, and struggle anyways might have problems, but the majority are fine.

The teens I know have been in almost constant contact via social media and even have been having parties through them. They have not been barred in their houses as they have taken advantage of/sometimes abused the allowed exercise outside the home and also have been meeting up outside in parks at least since the half-term. In DS's case, daily. Judging by the large number of groups of teens I pass by on my dog walks and runs, he and his friends are certainly not alone in this.

Lastly, this has been a very strange time, but also, in the big picture, a short time and I think teenagers are more resilient than they are portrayed here.

My DD14 is awful - and refuses any support whatsoever. I had sorted counselling too. I’ve tried just about every strategy I can think of and nothing works..

What do you do then? How can you possibly help anyone who refuses it?

I’m at the point of wanting the GP to prescribe something because I’m thinking that’s the only route I have left...but anti-d’s worry me enormously.

She’s refusing to engage in any schooling too.

I just hate this situation and I feel utterly helpless.

The impact of this is going to be huge for many young people.

Teens are like many of the elderly. Kept in away from society( no shops, leisure or face to face with friends), they have no job to go to or house to run. The future is very uncertain. They have exam and uni worries. There is no info. It is easier for those of us out there battling in with work and running a house.

The research in the op seems pretty reliable.

Schools need to open in Sep for teens they really do.

Theres a bit of me that thinks we all have a responsibility for our health and for the health of our children. You cant allow your children to not go out at all for 3 months then sit moaning asking what the Government are going to do about it when their mental health goes awry.

But we were told to and their schools, jobs, leisure activities got closed. Parents have to work.

Don’t take kids to shops, only go out for limited exercise, don’t mix with other households..... That's what we were told.

Are people seriously saying parents are at fault.

@moonfacebaby

My DD14 is awful - and refuses any support whatsoever. I had sorted counselling too. I’ve tried just about every strategy I can think of and nothing works..

What do you do then? How can you possibly help anyone who refuses it?

I’m at the point of wanting the GP to prescribe something because I’m thinking that’s the only route I have left...but anti-d’s worry me enormously.

She’s refusing to engage in any schooling too.

I just hate this situation and I feel utterly helpless.

The impact of this is going to be huge for many young people.

Is she refusing to engage in schooling while she’s off for Covid, or was she refusing to engage before that ? Have you discussed it with school ? If she was refusing before has a Pupil Referral Unit been mentioned ? They often deal with the situation better and some children need a bit of time before jumping back into main stream education. Some stay in it to the end. Have you spoke to the school nurse ? They are independent of the school and it’s all confidential. Do you have a hub in your area where young people can go for all sorts of help and advice, like contraception/ MH help/ alcohol and drug advice ?

Batters3aPark

"But we were told to and their schools, jobs, leisure activities got closed.Parents have to work."
No you werent. We were all allowed exercise once a day, twice or more for many at one point. You were allowed to go shopping. I made sure my teenagers went for walks, did exercise, came in the car for shopping trips, even just to get out and see different people. Made sure they kept in touch with friends. You cant allow teens to turn into hermits.

What will the government do? Nothing! And yes I would happily pay higher taxes if it means more MH support.

The school referred DD to CAMHs during the first week of lockdown. To cut a long story short she should have an appointment in 5 weeks time. That is a long wait, but I guess there are others who are higher priority.

I feel your pain @Batters3aPark.
It's so confusing trying to access private help, it's not as easy as a quick Google. I'm scared of throwing money down the drain and possibly exposing DD to someone who could do more harm than good

I have mostly been at home, so know it's not a case of something that can be sorted by taking a couple of weeks off work. DH took a week off and we both devoted ourselves to DD, he will take time off to get her to school and back when she can go in (it would help if school would let us know when that will be!) I think it's very harsh to blame working parents.

DD was missed out of the one and only Teams lesson her school have done. We both sobbed. It wasn't that she really wanted to learn about the subject, we just wanted some form of connection, even with people who usually tease her mercilessly.

They did their exercise every day. An hour a day out with family isn’t enough for teens who quite normally don’t want to be with family.

My ds has lost contact with his friends because he’s depressed, was struggling before, had shit support before and lockdown/ schools closing has made it worse.

If you have any kind of Employee Assistance or private healthcare benefits at work it's worth looking into them.

I get vitality healthcare which is classed as a 'benefit in kind' which costs about £60 a year. Through that I can access a private GP for £20 and all kinds of counselling/physio etc for me and my family.

There is also a free Employee Advice service where we can access phone and online counselling services.

"Are people seriously saying parents are at fault."
When did it become not our responsibility? I would feel at fault if I allowed my teen to become a hermit and then their mental health took a hit

Oh great more judgement from some on this thread
because DS 14 is not helping at a foodbank/making family meals/thoroughly enjoying online school work/doing Joe Wicks/engaging in jolly family time.

Clearly we're shit parents. Except pre lockdown parenting of a teen involved ensuring they got to school on time, making sure homework was done, ferrying them to and from sporting events or outings with their friends and facilitating the occasional sleepover. Now it means being head teacher whilst working full time , PE coach, cheerleader and social coordinator.

I don't have the energy for it, nor for the judgement from others. The absolute best thing I have done for my DS over the past 10 weeks is get him to break the rules and play football with his friends last weekend.

Tabby it can be more complicated than that. Ds has a disability that means he is far more isolated than other teens. I've tried getting him help from CAMHS and other places in the past and they refuse to see him. I don't see his huge isolation and struggles as my fault.

struggling before, had shit support before and lockdown/ schools closing has made it worse.

Its not really lockdown then? It's an ongoing difficulty. If you have an ongoing difficulty something will always come along at some point and make it worse. You deal with it, change what you can accept whst you can't work out the difference.

I've got one teen who is far happier not having to socialise and one who has struggled. But all her life she has struggled on and off. Exercise is done. In private. Not as a family, exercise does not have to be a family walk. And schoolwork is done. Beyond that is her choice. She has reached a level of contentment.

The main thing she understands this is not about her right now, her needs are not as important as protecting the most vulnerable and the NHS. It helps she lives with that every day with DS.

Accept what you can't change and make the most of where you are.

"Now it means being head teacherwhilst working full time, PE coach, cheerleader and social coordinator."
No, it means being a parent and watching out for them, making sure they are healthy and happy. Mine didn't do Joe Wicks, or help out at a food bank (random), or even do all the work set for them. But I didnt allow them to not go out for 3 months at all, and then blame the Government.

So because we followed gov guidelines of going out for limited exercise once a day with our household and went out to work during lockdown it’s all our fault.

Is that you Boris?

We went out every day.

Tabbymunz DS does go out most days to walk the somewhat over walked these days dog, or for a cycle ride to the corner shop because we force him to go out.

Hazel then your teen isn’t rock bottom. Many are.

@Batters3aPark do you realise you are actively looking for the negative and offensive in what people say?