Children and teenagers might be experiencing a range of emotions because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Below are a range of tools and resources for parents and carers to support their children in navigating the challenges and experiences that may arise due to the pandemic.
Our ability to adapt well to the stress of life, as well as being able to bounce back from adversity, crises or trauma, is often referred to as emotional resilience.
We’ve teamed up with Dr Radha, NHS GP, broadcaster and campaigner for wellbeing, as well as Londoners like you, to develop a 20-minute training video on emotional resilience.
In this short training video, you can learn more about resilience and get lots of practical ideas and inspiration about how you can strengthen your own ability to adapt well to stressful circumstances.
We have also produced this video with British Sign Language interpretation. Watch now on our YouTube channel.
In London, there are a range of free resources, online tools, and helplines available to help you deal with the uncertainty and stay mentally healthy. You may also be interested in resources in the main section for other communities, which you may also be part of.
Good Thinking is a digital mental wellbeing service that has over 100 free, NHS-approved resources designed to help those dealing with anxiety, low mood, poor sleep or stress. Take the clinically validated self-assessment to get a better understand of what you’re going through, helpful resources and if necessary, relevant treatment options.
To help build resilience and maintain good mental wellbeing, Every Mind Matters has a range of resources for everyone at Including an interactive quiz, the Your Mind Plan, to get top tips and advice relevant for you.
If you do not require urgent support but are still concerned about your mental health, contacting your GP is a good place to start.
You can also refer yourself for free, non-urgent NHS talking therapy services, also known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies services, which provide evidence-based treatments for depression and anxiety. In London, services are ready and open to receive self-referrals for those needing professional support.
Or you may feel more comfortable talking to someone you don’t know by using one of the following helplines:
In a series of new articles, we begin to share and explore the emerging themes from the responses, engagement and submissions to our community insights. Specifically highlighting the themes around racism, discrimination, the digital divide, and community and social networks.
Elsewhere, lots of evidence and insights collected from communities’ groups have shown that the COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown, and related crises are affecting families with children and single parents. Parents are coping with huge additional demands on their time as they are forced to care for and educate their children from home, and poorer families have been receiving less support from schools in doing so. Mothers, and particularly single mothers, have been more likely to work in sectors that have been shut down as a result of the pandemic.
If you relate to the themes and issues highlighted here, then we hope you find the resources outlined on this page of support.