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Self-Care Strategies by and for Youth (and for You, too!)
February 20, 2023
Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.
-Desmond Tutu, 1931-2021, Theologian
-Desmond Tutu, 1931-2021, Theologian
“Young people told us that when they are struggling, they are usually told to see a professional. They don’t often get much advice about how they could help themselves,” shared a team from the Anna Freud National Centre for Children and Families. In response, the Centre oversaw a systematic review of efficacy research on self-help strategies for youth. “Despite the increasing interest in the possibility of self-care, we lack evidence to guide this. We call for an expanded research agenda that evaluates self & community approaches.”
In the meantime, they consulted with over 100 young people, ages 11-25, to find which of the identified approaches the youth had tried and if they’d found them helpful. According to these respondents, the highest scoring strategies were listening to music (96%), home entertainment such as TV, books, film (92%), and personal hygiene (85%). Low scoring were light therapy (9%), over-the-counter medications (5%), and tai chi (3%). In a related project, the Centre collaborated with youth through the Common Room to create a collection of nearly 100 self-care ideas from activism and aromatherapy to text message support and warm baths.
As the website states, “These activities are not a substitute for seeing a mental health professional. Sometimes we need outside help and advice. Getting help is good. No-one should feel bad about it. That’s what this site is about.”
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Comments (2)
Displaying All 2 CommentsEugene, OR, United States
YES! 'Self-Care' recommendations coming from those in power are an easy way out, in lieu of the actions you're advocating for. I thought this was unique in that the Anna Freud Centre and the Common Room sought to listen to youth and then offer a platform to amplify their voices and ideas.
University of Phoenix/ Red Rocks Community College
Denver, Colorado, United States
This is another reminder that childcare workers and teachers need adequate pay and benefits. Mental health services - for workers and for their children - cost money. They are not cheap. At a minimum, we should be providing benefits that enable our workers to access mental health services - and enable their children to access them.
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