By Jeromy Corrigan

Mental Health

More parents looking for support regarding kids and mental health.

Sep 19, 2019 | 11:22 AM

High School is a busy and challenging time for teenagers and it can affect their mental health.

For parents, this is also extremely challenging, especially if it is brand new for them.

More and more parents continue to step forward, looking for support from the local Family Smart group.

“We see a lot of parents who are new to this,” shared Kathy Buhler, the local Parent & Residence with Family Smart.

The group provides support to parents and caregivers when they are struggling to support their child through a difficult time in their lives.

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“We also see a lot of parents who have been doing this for a long time with their kids. Whether they had anxiety when they were young or if they have depression as teenagers and sometimes they just need somebody to talk to. They have just been doing it for a long time. They are tired and maybe they are just not sure where to go.”

Buhler adds that signs vary for teenagers if they are going through something, but if they are acting unusual that is usually a good sign they are dealing with something.

The biggest tip, which Buhler provided was to keep communication between them and their child open and talk.

“You’re not alone. Even though we know that there are so many increases in struggles with child and youth mental health lots of parents feel like they are alone and they feel like if they talk to someone they may be blamed or they may be judged.”

Family Smart provides free support to parents who are in need. More information can be found on their website at FamilySmart.ca .