In response to the report, our Interim Partnership Director, Professor Emily Simonoff said ” These are stark figures. In 2022, following years of awarness raising campaigns about the importance of good mental health, and an ever increasing understanding of the role that it plays, we still find ourselves in a position where almost one in every five 7 – 16 year olds has a probably mental health disorder.”

What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that comes and goes in a seasonal pattern.

SAD is sometimes known as “winter depression” because the symptoms are usually more apparent and more severe during the winter. A few people with SAD may have symptoms during the summer and feel better during the winter.

What causes SAD?

The exact cause of SAD is not fully understood, but it’s often linked to reduced exposure to sunlight during the shorter autumn and winter days.

The main theory is that a lack of sunlight might stop a part of the brain called the hypothalamus working properly, which may affect the:

• Production of melatonin – melatonin is a hormone that makes you feel sleepy; in people with SAD, the body may produce it in higher than normal levels
• Production of serotonin – serotonin is a hormone that affects your mood, appetite and sleep; a lack of sunlight may lead to lower serotonin levels, which is linked to feelings of depression
• Body’s internal clock (circadian rhythm) – your body uses sunlight to time various important functions, such as when you wake up, so lower light levels during the winter may disrupt your body clock and lead to symptoms of SAD

It’s also possible that some people are more vulnerable to SAD as a result of their genes, as some cases appear to run in families.

Here are some ways to support you or your child through the next couple of months:

Keep Cool:

Professor Andrea Danese collaborated with young people to create KeepCool, a series of educational videos designed to give young people a platform to share their experiences of difficult emotions and discuss how they cope with them.

KeepCool focuses on fundamental emotions like anxiety, sadness, and anger rather than psychiatric disorders.

Spend time in nature:

Spending time in nature can help improve your mood and wellbeing Last week, research from the Urban Mind Project

found that seeing or hearing birds is linked with an improvement in mental wellbeing that can last up to 8 hours.

Going with the flow:

Futher research from the Urban Mind Project, published last month, found that there was a link between spending time by canals and rivers and feeling happy and healthy. 

Music for the mind:

Professor Sally Marlow is the BBC’s first researcher in residence where she is exploring ideas around mental health, music, arts & creativity. For World Mental Health Day 2022, she produced a mood-boosting mixtape in collaboration with BBC Radio 3. 

Talking therapy:

There are options for talking therapies – such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) or counselling

The poll, which surveyed 2,150 UK parents of children between 5 and 17 years old, between 23rd-29th September – after the Chancellor’s mini Budget – also found a third of parents (33%) feel their child is currently experiencing mental health difficulties. This rises with the age of children to 43% of parents with children aged 16-17.

Amongst these children, parents thought the most common symptom or behaviour parents have noticed is anxiety (68%), which is cited by nearly twice as many parents as the next most common response – which is noticing depression or low mood episodes in their children (37%).

The survey also found that three-quarters of parents (75%) think government funding for children’s mental health services should be increased. 

A significant three-quarters of parents (77%) say they would consider paying for private healthcare services if their children were experiencing mental health difficulties. Only 3% say they definitely would not. 

In some encouraging news, amongst those surveyed, the vast majority of parents (86%) say they feel able to support their children if they are experiencing mental health difficulties. Of those who say their children are currently experiencing mental health difficulties, the majority (56%) have successfully accessed professional help for their child’s mental health. A further 3 in 10 (30%) say they didn’t successfully access professional help but tried to.

The King’s Maudsley Partnership, which is made up of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, King’s College London and the Maudsley Charity, aims to transform child and adolescent mental health care through a unique collaboration between world-leading academics and clinicians, to significantly speed up the time taken to bring research breakthroughs into clinical treatment.

Professor Emily Simonoff
Interim Director of the King’s Maudsley Partnership for Children and Young People’s Mental Health

“Children and young people’s mental health has already been impacted by COVID-19 and the cost-of-living crisis adds yet another burden. Mental health services are already struggling to meet the demand and the pressure on families’ finances could see an even greater rise. It is all the more important to make interventions available to children and young people to help them navigate stressful life events – the research we will be undertaking in the Pears Maudsley Centre will work towards preventative interventions and targeted treatments.”

David Bradley
Chief Executive of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust

“Parents are very worried about how the cost of living crisis will affect their children, just as they begin to recover from a pandemic that affected their education, personal development and ability to deal with mental health conditions. 

 

Together, South London and Maudsley and King’s College London are already leaders in the research and treatment of anxiety. But with the latest figures showing 68 per cent of parents noticing their children experiencing anxiety we need a step change.

 

The expert knowledge and specialist care at the heart of the King’s Maudsley Partnership will drive new treatments and help address many of the complex mental health problems that we are facing.”

Kelly Boone, whose teenage daughter Avella is recovering from severe Body Dysmorphia

“It is a big worry. My daughter is doing well with her recovery but it’s still a daily battle. We try to cut back as much as we can but we have to make sure heating, lighting and water are available to her. She still has BDD which involves daily routines and rituals and she judges herself by very high standards. We can’t compromise her mental health.

 

She dropped out of college last year and thankfully now she’s back, but she can’t face public transport. We drive her there, which is an hour’s round trip. Gas, electricity and fuel are three things for which we’re going to have to pull money out of thin air. Every day we’re bracing ourselves for what’s next, hoping something will change but the costs keep spiralling.”

The Partnership will have its home at the £69m Pears Maudsley Centre for Children and Young People, which will be home to clinicians and academics in the field of children and young people’s mental health from the Trust and from King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), as well as the outstanding Bethlem and Maudsley Hospital School and young in-patients. The Centre is due to open in Denmark Hill in early 2024.

It will provide treatment to young people with a range of conditions, from eating disorders and body dysmorphic disorder, to anxiety, ADHD, autism and trauma.

The ‘Being a Dad’ project is a free, confidential, peer-to-peer group aimed at dads, with children aged 2–11 years, from across the four south London boroughs covered by South London and Maudsley — Southwark, Lewisham, Lambeth and Croydon.

How can ‘Being a Dad’ support with feelings of loneliness?

Parent group leaders, Dom and Kevin chair the group, was introduced by Empowering Parents, Empowering Communities (EPEC) and South London and Maudsley. Dom is a passionate father of three boys, one of which is autistic and has ADHD and uses his lived experience to support other dads.

“We follow the EPEC model but with a dad twist. For the first time, we have a group for dads, delivered by dads. We talk about our feelings and we exchange ideas,” said Dom.

“It can be emotional and quite ground-breaking. Many of the dads are sharing information they have never shared with family and friends. It’s a non-judgemental safe space that allows us to explore how we look after ourselves. We can handle the really powerful stuff but still have lots of laughter.”

What can I expect if I join?

The participants of the group are encouraged to implement ideas such as positive reinforcement, with a focus on becoming an assertive parent, instead of adopting a more passive or aggressive parenting style.

“It’s not about right or wrong or penalising dads for their choice of parenting styles. It’s about making improvements and feeling good enough, which helps you mentally because there isn’t the pressure of trying to be this perfect parent,” said Dom.

“We make a point quite early on in our groups that this isn’t a classroom, and we aren’t teachers. We hold the space, introduce the subjects, get a discussion going and as the weeks go on, we step back, so the dads can step forward. We want everyone to have a voice.”

The pandemic changed the way most parent groups were delivered. While this may have impacted engagement and participation in other circumstances, the group found that the virtual offering led to an increase in the number of dads wanting to participate.

“The first group had dads from across south London. Had it been face to face, we never would’ve got the range of diverse people with different experiences,” explained Dom.

“Working with dads from different backgrounds, whether that be socio-economic, religious or cultural, was brilliant. There were dads with several different parenting approaches or personal circumstances, all together in one virtual community. They all had one thing in common, they recognised they needed some support.”

What have previous participants said about the course?

As the project embarks on its second term there has been time for reflection. Dom and Kevin, are always interested in feedback and being able to develop. Many dads have expressed the positive impact the project has had on their mental health and outlook, Victor*, a father of two from Lewisham said.

“When I signed up, I expected a tonne of advice and strategies. What I didn’t expect was the sense of community I got from a bunch of dads who genuinely understand.”

Julian*, a father of one from Southwark pointed out that the course provides ‘good tools to be the same dad that I am, but better’. He said: “It is also both enlightening and comforting to meet all those other parents that are struggling like I am (including the instructors).”

“The overall benefit of these type of groups have a lot to do with smashing the stigma that attending a parenting course means you’re not good enough, a stigma I had myself,” said Dom.

“We want to reassure dads that this does not mean you are failing; this means you can be better supported. It’s about building stronger relationships and connections with your children. It may feel overwhelming now, but you are not alone in this.”

How can I get involved?

For those who prefer to learn independently a ‘Being a Dad Pack’ has been introduced. The content is lighter but still follows the same structure as the online group. Participants receive weekly emails and are offered three ‘Dad MOT’ sessions which are optional drop-in session to come together to talk about their experiences.

For more information on the ‘Being a Dad’ project or how to get involved in other parent/carer groups email [email protected] — they can help you, access groups, depending on your borough or area.

*Names changed