Teen Anxiety

Would you recognise the signs of mental illness and anxiety in your teenage son or daughter? That’s just what an expert panel challenged parents in Berkhamsted, St Albans and Harpenden to do at a recent seminar.

The panel discussion, hosted by local family law firm Rayden Solicitors at The Town Hall, Berkhamsted, discussed what life looks like for tweens and teens in 2018 and how parents can support their children through their teenage years, which can often be stressful and upsetting.

The panel was made up of Dr Lisa Barkley, Principal Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital; Sue Atkins, Parenting Expert and regular guest on ITV’s ‘This Morning’, and Lotte Stringer, founding trustee of local mental health support charity Hector’s House. They met over 40 local parents and reassured them that it’s normal for teenagers to have mood swings and suffer stress from hormone shifts, social media and exam preparation amongst other stimuli. They also gave them invaluable guidance on how to recognise the symptoms of anxiety, help their teens through stressful and emotional situations and reassure them that home will always be a safe haven.

You can read the full press release here.