Children's charity launches programmes to tackle anxiety
Photo for illustrative purposes only
THE ISPCC has launched three separate but complimentary Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing programmes, two of which are available to parents or carers of either anxious children or teens, while the third is aimed at teenagers experiencing low to moderate levels of anxiety. “A parent whose child is suffering from anxiety can feel utterly helpless,” said ISPCC spokesperson Rowena Walsh.
“They are desperate to help them but simply don’t know what to do. For a parent whose child is on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting list, the waiting time can feel interminable or even catastrophic, but there is something a parent can do to help their child – and themselves,” she said.
ISPCC offers these programmes to all, and it isn’t necessary to be on a CAMHS waiting list to avail of them. The online programmes, which are all free, are based on the principles of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, and are created by SilverCloud, a leading digital mental health provider. For Susan Nicholson, who completed the Supporting an Anxious Child programme after her GP recommended that her daughter Lauren attend CAMHS, the ISPCC programmes were invaluable.
“I wanted to do something that would help our family to support Lauren” said Susan. “The programme encouraged to me to look at the positives, rather than focusing on the effects of her anxiety.
“Going through the programme, you could see what other parents were going through and you’re able to relate to their challenges. To know that other people are going through is very helpful. As a parent, you’re supposed to know all the answers, and it’s scary. Starting the programme was such an easy process. I liked the fact that it was anonymous, nobody knew me and I didn’t have to go to a meeting in person. It was such a personal experience – in a good way. I didn’t feel like I was just another number.
The programmes includes interactive tools, activities, mood monitors and journals to encourage users to apply CBT to their own lives. Users have 12 weeks in which to complete the programme under the guidance of a volunteer, known as a supporter, and can avail of an unsupported version of the programme for one year after this time. “Chloe [my supporter] was very empathetic,” says Susan.
