A parent whose child is suffering from anxiety can feel utterly helpless. They are desperate to help them, but simply do not know what to do. For a parent whose child is on the CAMHS waiting list, the waiting time can feel catastrophic. But ISPCC can help parents to help their children.
ISPCC provides three separate but complementary Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing programmes, two of which are available to parents/carers of either anxious children or teens, while the third is aimed at teenagers experiencing low to moderate levels of anxiety.
These programmes are available to all, it is not necessary to be on a CAMHS waiting list to avail of them.
Regional services manager at ISPCC South, Aoife Griffin, says that holiday periods can be very stressful for some young people: "It is a time when there can be quite a lot of calls from young people who are experiencing anxiety and stress, especially as the exams come closer.”
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.
'Supporting an Anxious Child' and 'Supporting an Anxious Teen' are programmes that will help users to understand anxiety and better support their child or young person. 'Space from Anxiety' is aimed at 15 to 18-year-olds, and it is designed to empower young people who experience low to moderate anxiety. An adult can refer themselves or their child to the programmes.
The programmes include 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.
Dee Higgins, an ISPCC volunteer who works on its Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing programmes, believes that the programmes are empowering for users of all ages: “It gives parents and young people a chance to deal with their anxieties before it becomes a huge issue. If parents can understand what their child is going through, that is a huge step.”
To find out more, go to www.ispcc.ie/guided-digital-programmes/
