Volunteers at ISPCC’s 24/7 Childline Listening Service are experiencing increased conversations with children seeking support for anxiety, depression, and unhappiness.
anxiety It’s a frequent topic for children who talk to Childline both online and on the phone, said ISPCC Chief Executive John Church.
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According to a Dublin City University study released in 2020, 40% of teenagers here admit to feeling depressed or anxious.
ISPCC is determined to help tackle this problem by empowering young people and their parents and giving them all the coping skills.
The charity’s Space From Anxiety initiative is a free, online, CBT-based program created by SilverCloud for teens experiencing anxiety and parents or caregivers of anxious children and teens. is.
Here, ISPCC volunteer Dee Higgins explains why she believes the program will be useful for users of all ages.
I know firsthand how helpless parents can feel when they see their children struggle with anxiety and withdraw from school and friends.
It’s easy to feel like you’ve failed your child.
That’s why ISPCC’s Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing Program is so important. Not only does it support her teens who suffer from low to moderate anxiety, but it also provides invaluable support to parents.
Our programs are free, self-administered online, and based on the core principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is a talking therapy that helps people manage problems by changing the way they think and behave.
They are created by SilverCloud, a leading digital mental health provider based in Ireland.
ISPCC offers three independent and complementary programs. They are designed specifically for teens experiencing anxiety, as well as parents and caregivers of anxious children and teens.
The Space From Anxiety program is for 14-18 year olds, and the Support Anxiety Child and Support Anxiety Teen programs enable parents to learn skills to help their children become independent.
The program also helps parents learn how to respond to their child’s experiences.
My ISPCC volunteer work began in 2015 when my eldest daughter decided to move abroad.
For me, the timing was perfect as it gave me the opportunity to not only do something for myself, but also help others in the process.
Taking the first step and actually stepping into Castlebar’s info night was a big deal for me.
very rewarding
The training has been very rewarding and the people I have met over the past 8 years have been amazing. Honestly, I loved everything about it.
I started as a volunteer on the 24/7 support line. I’m still answering calls and texting him, and volunteering in my new capacity as part of the Digital Health and Mental Wellbeing team that runs all of our programs.
Castlebar was the first ISPCC unit to deploy these supports aimed at early intervention for teenagers, young children, and their parents and caregivers. I am very proud to be part of this team.
If a child or young person has the courage to pick up the phone and speak to you, it is truly a privilege to be there and be able to listen to them.
We believe our digital health and mental wellbeing programs meet a major need for children, young people, their parents and caregivers.
When we engage with children and young people on the phone or online and they talk about their anxiety, they often don’t know where to turn for help.
It can spiral, and in some cases, it can lead to self-harm and suicidal thoughts.
Anxiety can quickly affect their lives.
side order of guilt
I have seen children feel anxious about returning to school after the spread of the new coronavirus. Without proper support, the situation can worsen and alienate friends, family, and school.
As a parent or guardian, your instinct is to protect your child. We know that parents often feel like they have failed.
Our programs — Support Anxious Children or Support Anxious Teens — help parents develop skills that help their children become independent.
The program also helps parents learn how to respond to their child’s reactions and experiences.
A good example is the positive parenting module, which helps participants identify and celebrate what they are good at.
Parenting comes with guilt, but it’s very important as a parent to be aware of how you feel.
By completing the 12-week online program, participants learn to understand what their child is going through and how best to respond to it.
active listening
As a volunteer, I am here to help participants move the program forward.
The first step for parents is active listening. That is, listen and listen to your child, and don’t feel like you need to solve the problem all the time.
It’s also important to remember that small steps lead to big steps.
It takes a lot of courage to take these steps. If you notice that you or your child are feeling anxious, that in itself is a big step and should be applauded.
A parent or caregiver cannot help a child if they feel they are not ready to do so.
Our program helps provide these skills.
If parents can understand the feelings of their children and teenagers, they can help them.
These programs are great resources. It’s free, online and self-administered, so you can attend on your own time.
No label, no judgment. Our courses are just a way to equip you with the right information to help you and your child.
For more information, see: ispcc.ie/guided-digital-programs.
