RHS portlet MHH - Join HH

Join Healthy Heads

Get involved in decision making at YoungMinds by joining the Healthy Heads panel

RHS portlet MHH - who's who

Who's who

Find out who's who in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

RHS portlet MHH - Glossary

Glossary

Don't know what that word means?

Take a look in our glossary

RHS portlet MHH - what yp found helps

What young people have found helps them

Research and tests are useful, but it won’t tell us everything. Here are some positive things that young people say help them when they are feeling sad or worried.

  • Talking to their pet
  • Eating nice food or chocolate
  • Having a hug
  • Listening to music
  • Writing things down
  • Go for a run
  • Make a list of all the things to look forward to in the future

What we think

We agree that there are things that we can all do to help ourselves. Having a good diet, exercise, and feeling that people understand and care for us can all help. But, there might be times when we need more help.

 

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How do you know what you should be offered?

There are different organisations working in the UK which explain what help and support has been shown to work best. They do this by looking at what researchers have found.

Some of these organisations have been around longer than others, so some have done more work that is relevant to children and young people than others.  Some only work in one particular country in the UK. Whereas some of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) work is relevant to all four countries of the UK (England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales).

England & Wales

If you live in England or Wales, an organisation called the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) publishes different types of guidance for doctors and other professionals who are trying to help  you. They produce health technology appraisals that tell the doctors whether a type of medicines or therapy helps people with particular difficulties. They also produce other guidelines, such as clinical guidelines, which advise doctors on what type of help and care people should have. The main difference is that the NHS has to make available medicines or therapies if a health technology appraisal says that they help, but clinical guidelines give advice or recommendations that your doctor should think about when they are trying to help you. Not every type of problem has been covered by NICE, but if it  has they can tell you what type of help should be offered to you.  If you are not getting this, then you should ask why.

Scotland

In Scotland there is an organisation called the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN), which does a similar job to NICE. Health technology appraisals, which are produced by NICE also apply in Scotland.

Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland there is a similar organisation called the Guidelines and Audit Implementation Network (GAIN). Health technology appraisals, which are produced by NICE also apply in Northern Ireland.

Click here for more information about NICE's work.

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