Supporting children's mental health

Published on 24 March 2021

Children deal with a crisis in a different way. The drought, bushfires, pandemic, and floods are an accumulation of extreme and catastrophic events that have occurred recently. All these events can have a negative impact on children’s mental wellbeing.

Children, teenagers, and young adults can often be negatively impacted by the stress around them but may not have developed ways of understanding or expressing their emotions.

If you notice your child’s behaviour has changed recently and are concerned, you can talk to your GP or call the Mental Health Line run by the NSW Department of Health on 1800 011 511.

For more phone support options you can call Kids Helpline 1800 551 800 or Lifeline 13 11 14.

The NSW Department of Health has several useful links and resources to help parents support their child’s mental wellbeing on their website.

For an online mental health service aimed at assisting teenagers, ReachOut is an excellent resource. It is designed to help teenagers navigate the unique difficulties of being a teenager today.

ReachOut also have practical advice about a range of current topics, including, how to deal with the stress of natural disasters, which you can access here.

Another resource for young people is eheadspace. They provide free online and telephone support and counselling to young people 12-25 and their families and friends. It is free to create an online account which can be used to access their services.

If you are in an emergency situation or need immediate assistance, contact mental health services, go to your local emergency department or call emergency services on 000.