Wellbeing support for students

Dear Parent and Carers,

This guide provides tips and resources for parents, carers and families to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in their care.

This includes services to reach out to if more support is needed.

Actions that support positive mental health

Encourage your young person to:

Exercise and eat healthily to boost their mood
Prioritise sleep to support mental and emotional wellbeing
Explore relaxation techniques andcoping strategies
Stay in touch and catch up with friendsand loved ones
Make time to do things they enjoy
Practice positive self-talk, and remind them they are not alone
Seek professional help if needed. (1)

The Department have developed wellbeing activities and conversation starters for parents and carers of primary school-aged children and secondary school-aged children.

Feeling it: mindfulness resources and activities for senior secondary students.

Smiling Mind gives tips on self-care, understanding and managing emotions, being mindful, being kind to yourself, navigating uncertainty and preparing for change.

Signs a child or young person may need mental health support

In some cases, these actions will not be enough to support positive mental health. Keep an eye out and seek professional help for changes that last two or more weeks such as:

Loss of interest or involvement in activities normally enjoyed
Feeling ‘low’, unusually stressed or worried
Ordinary things get harder
Being easily irritated or angry
Taking more dangerous risks, like using alcohol or drugs
Withdrawal or feeling overwhelmed
Difficulties with concentration and motivation
Having a lot of negative thoughts
Changing in sleeping and eating. (2 3)

1 headspace – a parents guide to school issues and stress https://headspace.org.au/friends-and-family/parents-guide-tips-for-managing-stress-and-problems-at-school/

2 headspace ‘mental health and you’ poster https://headspace.org.au/assets/Uploads/Mental-Health-Posters-mgpdf.pdf

3 headspace – how to talk to your children about mental health https://headspace.org.au/dads/

Young people supporting each other

Young people are most likely to turn to each other for support before seeking out an adult or service provider.

Young people can support each other by:

contacting 000 if a friend needs urgent assistance or is at risk of harming themselves or others
reaching out to a friend, offering support and letting them know you care
letting their friend know they may need to tell a trusted adult about their concerns.

Having these types of conversations can be difficult for young people. Information for young people on how to support a friend is available on the headspace website: How to help a friend going through a tough time

Mental health support:

Your local GP

headspace Counselling: Victorian Government secondary school students, including those who have just finished schooling, can access counselling services from headspace. During the holidays, students can self-refer by calling their local headspace centre.