This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Practical help for teenage stress
12/06/2006
A new CD-ROM that aims to help teenagers manage everyday stress and anxiety will be distributed in schools across Scotland from today.
Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said these new educational resources will encourage early identification of stress and anxiety problems in young people and allow them to seek help.
Mr Macdonald said:
"Promoting positive mental health and well-being is a priority for the Executive. The new CD-ROM and website form part of our drive to reduce stigma associated with mental ill-health and to educate the wider public on steps they can take to ensure good well-being.
"This educational resource designed by mental health clinicians at NHS Lothian, in liaison with young people, will be used to help teenagers identify symptoms associated with stress and anxiety.
"Anxiety problems are estimated to affect around 20,000 to 40,000 young people under 18 in Scotland. In a school setting this can translate to one or two people in a classroom. Stress and anxiety problems can have a significant impact on young people's current and future well-being and may interfere with their education.
"The CD-ROM takes the form of an interactive game to guide teenagers through symptoms of stress and anxiety, ways to combat these problems and advice on where to seek help.
"Some practical measures teenagers can take to prevent these problems are exercising and allocating time for relaxation and leisure. Also spending time with people they are close to, talking to and listening to friends will all help young people to feel less stressed.
"Teenagers are also encouraged to seek help if they are feeling low, anxious or stressed.
"Early identification of these problems will mean teenagers can combat these problems more quickly resulting in fewer complications and improved well-being."
Cathy Richards, Lead Clinician/Head of Adolescent Psychology at the Young People's Unit in NHS Lothian said:
"With the help of young people we have produced a web-based resource which aims to develop teenagers' ability to manage everyday stressors such as exams and relationship breakups as well as suggesting other sources of treatment and help.
"Anxiety impacts on many areas of life, such as, the ability to attend school and make friends and so it's really important that stress and anxiety in teenagers are identified and treated early as possible. We hope the launch of this resource will aid recognition and early intervention ."
£70,000 of Executive funding was provided by the National Programme for Mental Health and Well-being to create an educational CD-ROM and web-based resource for dealing with stress and anxiety.
The website and CD-ROM are aimed primarily at young people and they use language relevant to them. Mental health professionals, teachers and carers will also be encouraged to use the resource to learn more about these problems in young people and where support can be found.
The CD-ROM is set up as an interactive game where teenagers will walk around a park visiting different areas:
- Winding Woods - a step-by-step guide on stress and anxiety
- Tree of Wisdom - learning to recognise the symptoms of stress and anxiety Maze - Navigate round the maze answering questions and learning about stress and anxiety Boating Pond - Relaxation techniques to help combat stress and anxiety Secret Garden - Personal stories from people who have experienced stress and anxiety Boaters Café - Web Resources and help for stress and anxiety