Self-help strategies Resources

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people (CYP) is an area of growing concern, with many experiencing challenges that do not meet the threshold for specialist services but still requiring support. This is the third part in our series on CYP’s mental health. The first explored the assessment and referral process (Al-Yassin, 2024), and the second described the THRIVE framework for intervention and the role that general practice nurses (GPNs) can play in psychoeducation, and the ‘thriving’ and ‘getting advice’ quadrants (Al-Yassin, 2025). This third part takes a practical approach and shares cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) informed self-help techniques that can be shared with CYP and families for both anxiety and low mood. It also gives some thought to managing risk and the role of collaborative safety plans in this.