Recent statistics indicate that 1 in 6 children between 5-16 years old can suffer from poor mental health.
Common conditions include anxiety, depression conduct disorders, Attention Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and eating disorders.
Applications to Muirfield Riding Therapy (MRT) from people who are struggling with mental health, especially children, has increased and MRT tries to respond by developing its service to meet the the needs of our young people.
Every human being has mental health and from time to time most of us face struggles. As adults we can hopefully make sense of our feelings, whereas children may struggle to make sense of a world they don’t feel they control.
Causes could be abuse or neglect, poverty, inequality, bullying or school related issues. They could have taken on caring roles within their family, with expectations of them causing them stress.
With nearly 40 years of experience working with children who face challenges with both their physical and mental health, our volunteers form bonds with the youngsters they work with, to foster a feeling that MRT is a safe, fun place to be.
A sense of belonging is a basic human need and is very important for children as they develop into adulthood.
We look at what belonging means to young people; “a place where you are always welcome”, “feeling included, not left out”; “a connection”, “its about feeling safe”; “feeing part of something”; “people accepting you as you are”; “people listening to me”.
Of course, many young people struggle to express their feelings so at MRT we use a mood board. This simple visual allows children to indicate to their volunteers how they are feeling before they mount and again when they dismount and they often indicate and improvement in their mood. It is just another way of creating a safe environment where people feel they can express their feelings freely.
Children’s Mental Health Week
It is Children’s Mental Health Week next week, 9-15th February, which is a campaign by UK charity, Place2Be which aims to support the groups and systems surrounding our children, encouraging community groups to create inclusive and nurturing environments where young people feel they belong.
