Children's Mental Health Week

This week – 8-14 February 2016 – is Britain’s secondfirst Children’s Mental Health Week, organised by the charity Place2B.

The charity hopes to raise awareness of the benefits of getting children support at the earliest possible opportunity, and to encourage parents to talk openly with children about their feelings and getting help.

Thanks to a video recorded by the Duchess of Cambridge, the week has received a lot of publicity.

It is currently a featured campaign on the Mumsnet website, which gives details of the helpline Place2B is running this week. The campaign logo has also been displayed on the BT Tower.

Catherine Roche, Place2Be’s chief executive, said: "Mental health affects all of us, but there's still a lot of stigma around admitting we might have a problem. It's particularly difficult for children who don't always have the words to express how they're feeling.

"Dealing with issues early and helping children talk openly about their worries can make all the difference, and ensure that small problems now don't turn into more serious mental health issues for adults. We'd encourage parents and carers to take a look at the ideas and tips on our website about how to start that conversation today."

The British Psychological Society is a member of the consortium of professional and campaign bodies that supports the MindEd child mental health project.

MindEd’s web portal provides free online education to help adults to identify and understand children and young people with mental health issues. It also offers a suite of e-learning resources, including assessment and outcome evaluation aids.