Practical support
Worried about your child’s mental health?
For parents, carers and other adults supporting a child or teenager under 18.
Need help now?
Life at risk or you cannot keep them safe? Call 999 or go to A&E. Other urgent help, by UK nation.
What is worrying you?
- Urgent help for my childWhat to do now and who to contact in each UK nation.
- My child is self-harmingFirst conversations, getting professional help and questions for their team.
- I am worried my child might be thinking about suicideAsking, responding and bringing in professional help.
- Getting help: GP, school, CAMHS and waitingReferrals, support meanwhile and what to ask if things get worse.
- My child is struggling to attend schoolWorking with school and finding the rules for your UK nation.
Independent signposting for adults supporting under-18s. Not clinically reviewed; legal information has not had specialist legal review. How we use sources.
You can ask for help without knowing a diagnosis. “Your child” includes a child or teenager you support as a relative, foster carer, guardian or another trusted adult.
More support for parents and carers
Age matters. Listening, keeping in touch and looking after yourself can help whatever their age. Use our listening guide and support for you. For child-specific symptoms, treatment and safety, check age-appropriate guidance with their team or use YoungMinds’ parent guidance and Beat’s family and friends support for specialist eating-disorder information.
Support for your own wellbeing. If a child is caring for someone else, see supporting a young carer; that is a separate situation.
Bullying, social media or something found online?
Use YoungMinds’ bullying guide for parents and NSPCC’s online-safety guidance for parents and carers. They cover specialist conversations, reporting and support. For concerns about abuse or neglect, use the UK safeguarding routes.
Where to start with ongoing concerns
Involve them in deciding how to seek help and ask what would make it easier. Being their parent does not automatically let you override every choice: consent depends on their age, understanding and the applicable law. You can still contact their GP or team for advice if they refuse, and should use the urgent routes above if help cannot wait.
Contact their GP or existing team. Describe what you've noticed, how long it's been happening and how it affects sleep, eating, school or daily life. Ask how to access local children and young people's mental-health services, often called CAMHS or CYPMHS. Referral arrangements vary: in some areas you or the young person can contact services directly.
A trusted teacher, school nurse or school or college mental-health lead can also help you find support. If you're worried about harm, abuse or neglect, speak to the school's safeguarding lead or use the safeguarding routes. School support doesn't replace medical help.
Worried about their eating?
You can use our guidance on changes in eating you might notice and how to start a conversation when supporting a child or teenager too.
Contact their GP promptly and describe the changes. Ask about a physical health check and referral to a children and young people’s eating-disorder service. Local arrangements vary; some services accept direct contact from families. You can ask the GP for advice yourself if your child will not attend. If their physical health is worrying you, check the signs that need urgent medical help.
Beat supports parents, family and friends, including before there is a diagnosis. F.E.A.S.T. offers free information and peer support for parents and carers internationally; use the UK services above for assessment and treatment.
Our adult guides’ service arrangements do not automatically apply to children. See consent and confidentiality at 16 or 17 and ask the treating team how they will involve you.[1]
Talking and listening
You don't need to begin with a label. Talk to them about what’s worrying you and give them time to answer. Listening without rushing to fix things may help, including when they aren't ready to explain.
For immediate concerns, use talking about suicide or the first response to self-harm, alongside the urgent routes above. Tell professionals their age: adult service arrangements and legal rules elsewhere on this site don't automatically apply to children.
We are waiting for CAMHS
CAMHS is the NHS service for children and young people's mental health. It may offer assessment, talking therapies, treatment and family support. Waiting times vary locally and can be long; there is no single UK waiting time this page can promise.
Ask whether the referral has arrived, what the next stage is, how to get an update and what support is available while you wait. Keep a short record of changes in sleep, eating, school, friendships and safety. Tell the GP and CAMHS if things get worse; do not wait for the booked appointment if help is needed sooner.
If the referral is declined, ask for the reason and which service should help instead. YoungMinds' parents' guide to CAMHS explains referrals, assessments and challenging a decision.[2]
What can school or college do?
Ask for a named person you and the young person can speak to. Tell them what is affecting the school day and ask what support or adjustments they can offer. School staff can contribute observations to a referral and help you find services. They cannot promise a CAMHS appointment or replace urgent medical assessment.
A useful question is: “Who will check in with them, what will happen if they are struggling during the day, and when will we review this?”
They do not want to see anyone
Ask what puts them off: not knowing what to say, being judged, a previous experience or you being in the room. They may prefer a different professional, a phone appointment if offered, written notes or speaking without you there.
You can contact their GP yourself for advice even if they will not attend. Explain what you have noticed and any safety concerns. Keep offering choices about how to get help, rather than arguing over whether there is a problem. If they are unsafe now, use the urgent routes above.[3]
They are 16 or 17: consent and confidentiality
At 16, a young person is generally presumed able to consent to treatment. A younger child may also be able to consent if they understand the decision. It depends on the decision and their understanding; being under 18 does not automatically give a parent control of every treatment choice.
UK differences: GMC guidance says that in Scotland parents cannot authorise treatment a competent young person has refused. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, overriding a competent refusal is legally complex. If a young person refuses treatment, or cannot make the decision, the law is complex and differs across the UK. Ask the treating team how it applies and how they will involve you. Do not assume either that you can override the refusal or that nothing can be done.[4]
Young people have confidentiality rights too. Ask them what they are comfortable sharing with you, and ask the team to explain the limits of confidentiality. Professionals may need to share information to protect them or someone else from death or serious harm. You can still pass on concerns even if the team cannot discuss confidential details with you.
Confidentiality: what you can tell the care team and what they may share.[5]
Someone they can talk to themselves
Childline supports children and young people under 19 in the UK. Call 0800 1111 or use its online support. Free to call. 24 hours, every day. They can talk about whatever is worrying them.
For someone to listen at any age, call Samaritans: 116 123. These listening services don't replace emergency care.
Support for parents and main carers
YoungMinds currently says its service is email-only. Phone and webchat are temporarily unavailable. Check current availability and email options. It supports parents and main carers and is not a crisis service; replies may take several working days.
Other relatives and friends can use its online parent guidance. More support for parents and carers.
Approaching adult services?
Planning the move to adult mental-health services covers the handover, family involvement and what to ask if an adult team doesn't accept the referral.
Sources and how this guide was written
Eating concerns in children and teenagers
YoungMinds: GP advice, physical checks and specialist eating-disorder referrals; Beat: support for family and friends; F.E.A.S.T.: parent information and peer support. Consent and confidentiality sources are listed above.
- CAMHS and waitingBack to the advice
- When a young person does not want help
YoungMinds: ways to make a GP appointment easier and asking the GP for advice yourself.
Back to the advice - Consent and refusalBack to the advice
- Confidentiality and safety
GMC: confidentiality, paragraphs 42 to 52. For listening to concerns, see GMC: direct care, paragraphs 39 and 40.
Back to the advice
General guidance and service information:
- NHS: supporting a child or young person, professional help and referral routes.
- NHS: urgent mental-health help; NHS England: 111 mental-health support for all ages, including children (national route checked 8 October 2026).
- NSPCC: Childline's age range and 24-hour support; Childline: contact options.
- YoungMinds: parents' helpline, hours and eligibility.
Last full source check: 2 October 2026
Consent and seeking advice wording checked: 7 October 2026. Sources and explanation.
Gateway routes, bullying and online-safety signposts, UK urgent-help signposting, consent distinction and YoungMinds availability checked: 12 October 2026. This does not reset the full source-check date for the retained guidance.
Independent information, not a medical or crisis service. This guidance has not been clinically reviewed. How we use sources.