HealthInfo Canterbury
Getting help for my teen with anxiety
There are lots of things you can do to help an anxious teenager or young person.
GP
Talk to your GP or practice nurse first. Reassure your teenager that it is confidential, and they can attend with you or on their own if they prefer. If necessary, your GP can arrange more specialised assessment and treatment.
Counselling and social support
These organisations can provide counselling for teenagers or family members. They also provide parenting courses and one to one parenting support.
- Manu Ka Rere
Manu Ka Rere (formerly CYMHS) is free for rangatahi (young people) aged 13 to 24 who may have mental health or alcohol and drug issues. The service provides short-term intervention, which includes assessment, treatment and support. It also coordinates and supports rangatahi and their whānau (families) to get longer term treatment if needed. Rangatahi can refer themselves to the service. A general practice team, counsellor, teacher or parent can also refer them.
- Christchurch Methodist Mission – Work with tamariki
Home-based social services to assist with parenting, and work individually with children who have experienced trauma or changes, or who are struggling.
- Catholic Social Services – Counselling
Provides individual and family counselling for anxiety using a variety of approaches.
- Presbyterian Support Family Works – Support for Young People
Includes trained counsellors, psychologists and social workers who can provide support suited to your teenager's needs.
- Home & Family Society – Child therapy
Offers counselling creating environments for positive change to enable people to overcome difficulties and achieve emotional wellbeing.
- 298 Youth Health
298 Youth Health provides free medical care and counselling services for 10 to 24 year olds.
- Happy Minds Counselling Rolleston
A counselling practice that includes specialist youth services, such as counselling services for anxiety.
- Community Wellbeing North Canterbury Trust
Provides free support for families through wellbeing services across the Waimakariri and Hurunui districts.
- The Anxiety Helpline
A free and confidential service. They support hundreds of people each month experiencing all forms of anxiety. This includes panic attacks, phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorders. You can phone the Anxiety Helpline at any time on 0800-ANXIETY (0800‑269‑4389).
Right Service Right Time can help you find the most appropriate services. For more information, phone (03) 378‑2782 or 027‑654‑7788, email info@rightservice.org.nz or visit the website.
Family talking therapy
It’s important to consider the whole family when a teenager has anxiety. If a parent is anxious, stressed or unhappy, their teenager will probably have difficult emotions to manage. Getting help for the parent’s problem will also help the teenager’s anxiety.
Talking therapy might involve:
- one to-one parenting support for the parents
- family therapy
- counselling for the parent or teenager.
It focuses on:
- helping the young person and their parents understand what’s at the heart of the anxiety
- supporting family to make changes to reduce causes of stress at home
- teaching the parent to respond to stress in a healthy way, so the teenager can follow their parent’s example.
School support
The Ministry of Education lists services that can help your teenager at school.
HealthInfo recommends the following videos
- Whāraurau – Mental health services
This series of videos is designed to help rangatahi (young people) and their whānau (families) navigate their way through child and adolescent mental health services. The videos show examples of different kinds of therapies and health professionals who work in these services. They also include information about medications that are sometimes used to treat anxiety, depression and psychosis. Each video is around 5 minutes long.
HealthInfo recommends the following pages
- Mental Health Advocacy and Peer Support (MHAPS)
MHAPS provides a service called ps.Youth that offers free one-on-one peer support for teenagers with mental illness. Youthful peer support workers who understand what it is like to struggle with mental illness are trained to support young people who are going through mental distress. Phone (03) 365-9479.
- Anxiety UK – Young people and anxiety
Information specifically for younger people.
- The Lowdown – Understanding anxiety
Information written for young people and teens.
- Common Ground
A website that aims to ensure parents, families, whānau and friends of young people have easy access to information that will help them support young people to manage hard times, and enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing.
- Ask Aunty Dee
Aunty Dee can help you solve problems with issues like bullying, depression, drinking, grief and sex. The website is designed for young Pasifika people, but it can help all rangatahi.
- YoungMinds – Medications
If you are prescribed medication, you can go to this site for information about common medications, including what they are used for and what their side effects are.
- Smiling Mind
A free mindfulness meditation developed especially for young people. It's available as a web-based program or an app.
Written by HealthInfo clinical advisers. Page created December 2019.
Review key: HIAXY-53690
