HERE’S an interesting fact for you. Did you know that 50per cent of all long-term mental health issues have begun by the age of 14, and around 75per cent of all long-term mental health conditions have begun by age 24?

It is widely acknowledged that early diagnosis and treatment can lead to better outcomes for people with mental health conditions. This is because early intervention can help prevent the condition from getting worse and can also help to reduce the risk of other problems, such as substance abuse, academic problems, and social isolation.

Early intervention can also help to reduce the severity of symptoms, which can improve a person’s quality of life. For example, early treatment for depression can help to reduce the risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours.

With professional and other support, early intervention can help people to develop coping strategies, giving them the skills they need to manage their mental health condition, such as dealing with stress, managing their emotions, and building healthy relationships. In other words, it is perfectly possible to have a mental health diagnosis and thrive.

Knowing this can help to reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions. This is because it can help people to see that mental health conditions are treatable and that they are not alone, which is the whole point of this column.

So, what can we do, as parents, grandparents or however else we engage with young people in our lives?

As teenagers develop and cope with all the physical and other changes in their lives, it can be difficult to distinguish the signs of normal adolescent development from something else. However, it is a good idea to keep an eye out for things like changes in mood, such as sadness, anxiety, or irritability, particularly changes in behaviour, such as withdrawal from friends and family, aggression, or self-harm. Changes in school performance, sleep patterns and even appetite can also indicate that a young person may be struggling. It’s also a good idea to keep an eye out for physical symptoms, such as headaches, stomach aches, or fatigue.

Getting young people to open up to us can be easier said than done, attempts to start a conversation can be difficult, I fully appreciate that. It can be difficult for us to put our own experiences and views of the world to one side, and to fully appreciate things from the young person’s point of view.

Quite often when adults try to get a conversation going with a young person, they will attempt to minimise the feelings of a young person. We may feel we are saying the right thing by dismissing things a young person says are troubling them. This can cause them to ‘shut down’, it can often lead to them feeling completely mis-understood, possibly adding to the problems they are struggling to cope with.

It can be helpful to cast our own minds back to our teenage years and remember just how huge certain things felt to us at the time, and just how overwhelming many situations could appear to be. Our memories of just how significant things such as exam stress, first love, worries about our appearance, tend to fade over time.

Young people often find it difficult to verbalise how they are feeling. If they are feeling particularly stressed or anxious, they will naturally be on the defensive, again making it difficult to chat with them.

One thing you may find helpful, to get a conversation going with a young person you are concerned about, is to sit side by side, avoiding direct face-to-face contact with them. They find it far less threatening and are more likely to open up. A car journey or a walk together can really be a great opportunity to start a conversation. Remember, it may take a young person a little time to process a question you ask them, so give them time to think. Don’t be tempted to fill the silence, once you have asked them something, give them time to respond.

February 1 is ‘Time To Talk Day’, so it could be the perfect time for you to have that conversation.

If you are concerned about your child’s mental health, it is important to talk to a doctor or mental health professional. It really is worth remembering, early diagnosis and treatment can make a big difference in the lives of young people with mental health conditions.

Please remember, if you are in any type of mental health crisis, go to your GP, visit A&E, call The Samaritans on 116 123 or text SHOUT to 85258

If you run any type of mental health and well-being support group in the area, then please get in touch so I can include details in a future column wellbeing@martinfurber.com

* Martin Furber is a therapist qualified in various modalities and an Instructor Member of Mental Health First Aid England.