Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

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

150 replies

1SayT0mat0 · 13/06/2020 05:29

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.Hmm

OP posts:
Hazelnutlatteplease · 13/06/2020 09:19

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

No she's not. But then home narrative isnt this is a disaster and the end of the world and the government must fix our mental health. It is this is hard but this too will pass, and you need to take responsibility for making use of any coping strategies available. if youre managing your exercise and schoolwork you are succeeding.

halcyondays · 13/06/2020 09:20

Well the government wasn’t exactly doing much for teens’ mental health before lockdown so I wouldn’t have high hopes for them starting now.

GPs can’t prescribe anything for them, they can only refer them on which takes an age even if it’s an “urgent” referral.

OTOH some people’s mental health has actually improved a lot during lockdown because of reduced pressures on them.

Hazelnutlatteplease · 13/06/2020 09:24

Well the government wasn’t exactly doing much for teens’ mental health before lockdown

Yes this. Mostly its up to home to manage any way.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 09:28

Until you can’t.

We didn’t have that narrative. Did you not read everything we’ve tried.

Guess we have an answer to the op.

pigeon999 · 13/06/2020 09:29

hazel I could not agree more. Our children may at the end of this be much stronger and more resilience. I love the idea that we stop socialising it creates a certain level of independence.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 09:33

I know so many struggling like us, many with a lot of experience of working with teens too.

Just knew it would be blamed on teen lack of resilience. Funny how oaps are struggling too. My mother is in her 70s and lody her husband, been resilient all her life. This has hit her for 6 and she is now needing support.

It is not a lack of resilience issue.

TabbyMumz · 13/06/2020 09:37

"Batters3aPark

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?"
My comments are around people intimidating their teens didnt go out at all for 3 months then blaming the Government. If you made sure your's went out, my comments arent at you.

pigeon999 · 13/06/2020 09:40

batters I did not say it was a lack of resilience, please read my post properly, I said the crisis will create resilience, in some children, not all.

For some teens and adults being able to cope with difficult situations will be testing, and hard but ultimately there is a sense of pride in getting through it. I say this as a teen with extremely difficult life circumstances and MH and in the end came out the other side. I am as tough as old boots now. This does not need to be a long term disaster for your child, not at all, do what you can, as much as you can and be a positive example to your dc even if it is the last thing you feel like doing (its okay to cry in the loo, its okay to talk openly about how hard you are finding it, and listening to your children describe their feelings too. It is okay not to be okay sometimes) but for the sake of dc we must show them how we cope. The pandemic is a life lesson for all of us on how to cope. I don't like it either, I am finding it unbearable at times, but we motor on and it will pass. Like everything else. This is a tiny moment in time, a speck in the universe. It will get better. Flowers

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 09:41

Has anybody said they didn’t got out for 3 months? Everybody I know has been desperate to get out. Wasn’t so long ago we had threatened reporting for being out longer than an hour.Hmm

rookiemere · 13/06/2020 09:41

Ah so the act of going out once a day without friends for exercise totally prevents any mental health issues. Makes you wonder why they bother with CAHMs really.

TabbyMumz · 13/06/2020 09:46

"It is not a lack of resilience issue."
Well, it kind of is in a way, because if people had more resilience, they would be able to cope better when there is change. My teens have been pretty relaxed throughout this and are managing fine. with one of them, its helped enormously as life was quite hectic before.

TabbyMumz · 13/06/2020 09:47

"Has anybody said they didn’t got out for 3 months?"
Yes, you intimated it. I commented about people not going out for 3 months and you replied with "we were told to".

TabbyMumz · 13/06/2020 09:50

"Wasn’t so long ago we had threatened reporting for being out longer than an hour."

It was never the rules that you couldnt go out for more than an hour.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 09:50

Done all that and like many doing it. Going out to work, tried everything, getting on with life.....,

Hasn’t helped.

Some seem to be saying that isn’t ok and akin to neglect anyway.

pigeon999 · 13/06/2020 09:51

This is a very timely piece from the lancet, talking about the impact to teens and young people:

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

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 09:53

It was limited exercise and many don’t live near green spaces. Many teens didn’t/ don’t have transport as parents are working. Day trips out were definitely not ok anyway.Wandering round your local area for hours isn’t necessarily helpful when low.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 09:54

The elderly ( who apparently put us to shame re resilience ) are also struggling.

ZaZathecat · 13/06/2020 09:55

I don't think people whose children don't have mh problems will ever understand. I have one who does and one who does not. You give them both all the support and encouragement you can (and I was a sahm so apart from caring for elderly parents, was available) but this had no effect on the 'resilience' of the one with the anxiety/depression.

pigeon999 · 13/06/2020 09:55

batters It is almost like you don't want things to improve. If I were you I would look at getting some proper MH support first, and then think about what you can do for your child when you are in a better place. You seem to be a in very bleak place.

Going out for the day has been possible for weeks now, why haven't you done something like this? A picnic? A beach or lake visit?

The negativity you are feeling will be affecting everyone around you. Please get some help.

TabbyMumz · 13/06/2020 09:57

"Wandering round your local area for hours isn’t necessarily helpful when low."
Actually, going for walks is recommended by most therapists...change of scene, seeing different things, seeing other people, etc.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 10:00

We have done that.1 day a week doesn’t really cut it particularly if so low the places on offer don’t do much to boost mood. Dragging out seems to make it worse.

Not in bleak place thanks but incredibly frustrated as we have been banging our heads against brick walls alongside working through the pandemic.

TabbyMumz · 13/06/2020 10:00

"The elderly ( who apparently put us to shame re resilience ) are also struggling."
That's quite a generalistic statement. My parents are elderly and are fine. Not much changed for them. They still go food shopping, went for short drives, had picnics in the car. Anythings possible when you have a positive attitude.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 10:00

Well guess what Tabby it didn’t work for my child.

Batters3aPark · 13/06/2020 10:01

Well my mum lost all her support network and has several friends like her who isn’t.

Andante57 · 13/06/2020 10:02

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

Lynette, the good news is that you can pay more tax. Here is a letter from the Guardian

‘Susan Reynolds (Letters, 28 September) says: “I want to pay more tax for the public services I enjoy.” She might be relieved to know that she may do so simply by sending a cheque to HMRC. I understand that you can even specify where you would like to see that money spent. Interestingly, the government releases those figures on an annual basis, and it appears that 15 people have done so in the last two years. This makes me think dissemination of the exact process for making voluntary tax payments is perhaps a public service you may care to take up for the convenience of your readership....”