Action 4: Encourage the young person to get appropriate professional help “It’s helpful if the Youth MHFAider makes the young person feel like they are sitting alongside them in that moment. The adult should be okay with not knowing everything and be confident signposting to an appropriate professional.” Anonymous For information on professional treatment and medication types specific to conditions or behaviours, see the detailed sections under each ‘Types of poor mental health’ chapter. For specific helpful resources and contacts, sign in to your MHFAider Support App or go to the Hub of Hope website . Seeking professional help for poor mental health is a difficult step for many people, especially young people. Recovery outcomes have been shown to be much better with early intervention. Remember that not all young people showing signs of emotional distress will require professional help and may cope well with self-help strategies. However, it is still important to discuss their options, and to find out if they would like to explore accessing help. It is not up to the Youth MHFAider to determine whether a young person needs professional help. Help can come in many forms. It might take the form of practical support with life’s challenges delivered by charities or other organisations. It may also take the form of clinical therapy, or other treatment types which target long-lasting poor mental health. Ask Start by asking the young person if they have received professional help before and whether they’d be open to accessing it now. By asking this you start a conversation centred around the person’s
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