Time to Change are encouraging all families to start talking about Mental Health. If you haven’t spoken about mental health in your family, you’re not alone. Talking mental health with your son or daughter might feel like a tricky topic. But conversations about it come in many forms, and showing you’d be open to that conversation means they will be more likely to come to you should they experience a mental health problem – directly or through seeing a friend go through it. It’s worth bearing in mind that:

• Simply showing you would be happy to talk is significant
• Short, informal chats can make a big difference – whenever and wherever they happen
• There are lots of places you can find out more about mental health

Remember, not knowing things about mental health is OK. Just being available and open to talk about it will almost always help.

To find out how to start the conversation go to Time to Change at the links below:

• Parents Advide on Time to Change: time-to-change.org.uk/parents
• Starting the conversation about mental health: time-to-change.org.uk/mental-health-tricky-topic

or to find out about mental health and young people go to:

• YoungMinds is the UK’s leading charity committed to improving the emotional wellbeing and mental health of children and young people.
• Rethink Mental Illness have information on their website for young people living with a mental illness.
• Read Mind’s guide to support available for young people with mental health problems.