World Mental Health Day, observed on 10 October each year, is a global initiative that highlights the importance of mental health to overall well-being.
It serves as a timely reminder of the critical role families and educators play in supporting young people’s mental health. This day is not only about reducing stigma, but also about strengthening awareness, encouraging open conversations, and ensuring young people know where to turn to for support. By acknowledging World Mental Health Day we can help reduce stigma to build more compassionate and supportive environments.
I am sharing this extra Blog to empower friends and families to give some more attention to matters of well-being, and just because people look healthy, appearances are deceiving.
Parents and caregivers play a central role in shaping the mental health of their children. World Mental Health Day is an opportunity to pause and reflect on the pressures young people face in today’s world and how we can best support them. Whether it’s helping them find balance between school, technology and rest, encouraging open conversations about feelings, or modelling healthy coping strategies ourselves, taking small steps at home can make a big difference. By engaging with resources and discussions on this day, families can strengthen their understanding of mental health and contribute to a culture where seeking help is seen as a sign of strength, not weakness.
SchoolsTV are our partners in the provision of excellent advice to parents and families. SchoolTV have just been awarded Mental Health Organisation of the Year in Australia! I have every expectation that their reach will soon be across the whole of the UK, in part because of the quality of the advice they offer, all published on our website here – https://clairescourt.uk.schooltv.me/ and because the access to good clinical advice on working with children is just so poor.
One of the outstanding practitioners in this field is Dr Emma Woodward, a child and adolescent psychologist, and her short video as part of World Health Day 2025 is really worth a watch.
This supplementary advice, covered in her TED talk 2 years ago, helps provide advice for parents and other adults on matters of Trauma, that emotional response to a terrible event that can manifest in a range of emotional and physical symptoms, with the potential to develop into a mental health condition like PTSD if symptoms persist. In school, we are noticing a slow and steady rise in this field. I quote below the questions and beneficial answers she gives so well:
“How can we create a future fit for human flourishing through practical psychology for generations to come? Dr Emma Woodward will shed light on this question through her talk on healthy trauma-informed responses that can benefit all ages. Dr Emma Woodward is a leading expert in trauma-informed practice and child development. A respected and sought-after trainer and facilitator, she is also a frequent media commentator on topics to do with child and adolescent development and trauma-informed principals. Her passion lies in understanding how we can use our knowledge of human behaviour to create a future fit for human flourishing for generations to come.”
For additional resources and further information on World Mental Health Day, visit the Mental Health Foundation website.
A Principled view 