Why We Help
Preventative Mental Health for Children (PMHC) refers to strategies provided to families with the holistic goal of proactively maintaining and enhancing mental well-being. PMHC aims to prevent the development of mental health issues or disorders later in life. It encompasses a range of activities, practices, and interventions designed to build mental resilience, reduce stress, promote emotional well-being, and support healthy communication with caregivers and peers.
You can read more about PMHC here: PMHC explained.
Mental health is critical for children to flourish
One in six children aged five to 16 were identified as having a probable mental health problem in July 2021, a huge increase from one in nine in 2017. That’s five children in every classroom (1)
Just over one in three children and young people with a diagnosable mental health condition get access to NHS care and treatment (2)
10% of children and young people (aged 5 to 16 years) have a clinically diagnosable mental problem, yet 70% of children and adolescents who experience mental health problems have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age (3).
As health care services face increasing pressure to offer timely support for children experiencing mental health challenges, grappling with staffing constraints, budgetary limitations, and extensive waiting lists, all too often, children receive assistance only when it's already 'too late'.
Our goal is to support children while their brain plasticity is still in the developmental stages and strong neural pathways can be built by the consistent practice of wellbeing strategies (4). These strategies can help to reduce the risk of mental health problems forming as they go into adulthood, giving children the chance they deserve to reach their best potential (5).