Needs of Children and Young People Living with Complex Mental Health Difficulties

This book highlights how it is increasingly important that nurses and other health and social care professionals working with or caring for children and young people (CYP) can contribute to the care and support these vulnerable individuals need. Given the limited specialist mental health services available for CYP, this book helps to recognise when referral to specialist services is required. It is aimed at providing nurses, other health and social care professionals with a comprehensive understanding of some of the complex mental health issues faced by young people today and to provide them with confidence in how to interact helpfully with them.

While covering a range of complex mental health issues (such as self-harm, eating disorders, and psychosis) this book also explores wider factors that can influence poor mental health (such as being Looked After, having a disability, drugs and alcohol, and social media). Alongside these, it explores some of the wider systems and processes that can provide practical guidance to practitioners (having a Trauma-informed approach, awareness of risk management, and safeguarding). Lastly, the book recognises how overwhelming it can be for practitioners working in this field and explores how they can use reflective practice and self-care in the development of a therapeutic relationship that enables them to interact positively and non-judgementally with young people with complex mental health issues. Examples of good practice are provided throughout the book by using case scenarios and tips from young people with lived experience.
This book will prove to be an invaluable guide to assist nurses, teachers, social workers, paramedics, health care assistants and police force in giving help and support to CYP.

Dr. Gemma Trainor is an Associate Professor in Mental Health Nursing at the University of Salford, UK with extensive clinical and research experience in children’s and young people’s mental health. She has published and presented her work widely and has co-edited a previous book Helping Young People and Children who Self Harm. She was a member of the NICE Guideline Development Committee on Self-Harm (published in September 2022) and has recently been appointed to the editorial panel of the International Journal of Psychiatric Nursing.

Professor Vanessa Heaslip is a Professor of Nursing and Healthcare Equity at the University of Salford, UK. Vanessa is an Adult nurse  and her research focuses on people who are socially excluded or marginalised, who experience health inequity, and whose voices are often not heard in the academic or professional discourse. She has over 90 published articles and numerous book chapters as well as being an Associate Editor in Nursing Open and on the editorial board for International Perspectives on Health Equity.