Healthy Family Mental Health Starts With Mental Health Check Ins
Most families don’t think about family mental health until something has gone wrong. By that point damage has already been done.
Mental health issues are more common than you think they are.
They can impact every person in the family from children all the way up to grandparents.
The good news is mental health check-ins are…
- Free to begin
- Easy to incorporate into any schedule
… and can make all the difference in how your family navigates stress, anxiety and life in general.
Here’s what you’ll learn:
- Why Mental Health Check Ins Are Important
- There’s A Mental Health Crisis & We Need To Act
- On-demand Psychiatrist Access Is Becoming Easily Available
- How To Start A Mental Health Check-In With Your Family
- When To Seek Professional Help
Why Mental Health Check Ins Are Important
A mental health check in is simply what it sounds like. A check in to see how everyone is doing mentally.
It’s a check-in conversation where all family members share how they are feeling emotionally. There should be no judgement or pressure during these conversations. Simply talk through how everyone is feeling mentally. Ask about stress levels, if anyone is struggling with anything or how their day was.
Most families never check in though. They’ll discuss the kids, jobs, bills or what’s for dinner. Mental health is not brought up at all.
This is a problem because mental health is important at any age. Looking out for each other and catching these problems early can be the difference between overcoming challenges or them spiraling into something much worse.
Thankfully services like FasPsych are making on-demand psychiatrist access easier than ever. Families can contact a mental health professional whenever a check-in raises a red flag.
Let’s discuss why these check-ins are so important.
The Importance of Checking In
Imagine if nobody in your family ever talked about mental health. No one openly discussed their feelings or worried they would be judged.
How would you ever know if your spouse was feeling sad? Or that your child was being bullied at school?
You wouldn’t know until they either exploded in anger or completely shut down. Neither are good outcomes.
Regularly checking in with your family about their mental health can prevent these types of scenarios from happening.
You’ll have a better understanding of how everyone is feeling. Which makes it easier to spot when someone is behaving differently than usual.
And when everyone is in better mental health, life is simply happier.
There’s A Mental Health Crisis & We Need To Act
Mental health disorders affect 1 in 5 American adults every year.
You read that right. 1 in 5.
Can you imagine if 1 in 5 people were diagnosed with cancer each year? There would be an absolute epidemic of funding, resources and solutions.
But because mental health problems are “invisible” most people don’t understand the magnitude of just how many people are affected by mental health each year.
The issue is only growing worse too.
In fact…
Behavioral Health Conditions On The Rise In Youth
Among children aged under 18 years, the overall prevalence of mental, behavioral, or emotional disorders increased from 25.3% to 27.7%.
Children are facing mental health challenges at the highest rate they have since 2003.
Not only are parents fighting to keep their own mental health intact but their kids are dealing with loads of stress too.
Whether it’s school, friend issues, social media or something else. The pressure on young kids is immense.
Because more kids are struggling, that means more families are going to struggle too.
Our children drive how we feel about life. If they’re sad or upset that happiness bleeds over into every aspect of the family.
On-demand Psychiatrist Access Is Becoming Easily Available
Most families don’t know this…
Getting in to see a psychiatrist was almost impossible a few years ago. There were months long wait lists for new patients.
That sort of wait was impossible for most families. But that hasn’t been the case for very long. Thanks to technology on-demand psychiatrist access is revolutionizing mental health care.
On-demand psychiatrist access is exactly what it sounds like.
Instead of waiting months for an appointment, families can now access a psychiatrist instantly.
Here’s how it works.
On-demand mental health platforms allow families to connect with licensed psychiatrists through virtual appointments. There are no long wait times. No driving across town.
Families can get professional support right when they need it.
Need a psychiatrist that specializes in adolescents? There’s one.
Want someone that specializes in anxiety? You can find them too.
Thanks to on-demand platforms like FasPsych families have access to psychiatrists that can help with any mental health related issue.
Building A Routine Mental Health Check-In
Checking in with your family should be easy. There’s no rules on how to do it.
As long as you’re creating a safe space for everyone to share how they’re feeling.
Here’s a simple framework that works well.
Pick a day and time each week to check-in.
Sunday evenings before dinner works great. But you can also do them during a walk or right when everyone is home from school or work.
The goal is to make it routine. Same time, same place every week.
Ask each other open ended questions about how the week was.
- How are you feeling this week?
- Is anything bothering you?
- What was your favorite part of this week?
- Is there anything that would make your life easier?
The important part is to listen more than you talk. Family members should feel comfortable opening up without being judged or preached at.
Make sure phones are put down. Eye contact is important and truly hearing what your family members say is critical.
Doing check-ins with young children will look different. Have them draw pictures to express how they feel. Emotion cards are another great way to get kids to open up. Or simply ask them to rate how they’re feeling on a scale of 1-10.
The point isn’t to diagnose someone during these check-ins. It’s simply creating a safe space where everyone can openly talk about their mental health.
When To Seek Professional Help
Remember that check-ins aren’t a replacement for professional care.
If your child comes home from school and says they don’t like how they feel. They should still see a therapist to get professional help.
Here are some red flags that a family member might need to seek professional help:
- Continual sadness or feeling down
- Withdrawn for more than two weeks straight
- Significant changes in appetite or sleep habits
- Loss of interest in activities they used to find enjoyable
- Decline in school or work performance
- Talking about death or suicide
Please consult with a professional if you believe your family is experiencing a mental health emergency.
Bottom Line
Families should be checking in with each other on a mental health level. Just like you’d check in to see how everyone’s physical health is going.
Mental health check-ins take zero money to start. Only a couple minutes of your day.
They can seriously change your family’s outlook on life if everyone feels comfortable enough to open up.
Let’s review:
- Begin checking in with your family once a week
- Create an environment that’s safe to share in
- Look for red flags that something might be seriously wrong
- Seek professional help if your loved one needs it
- Use services like FasPsych for on-demand access to psychiatrists
Check ins are the future of healthy family mental health. Start having them today so your family can learn to flourish together.
The owners and authors of Cinnamon Hollow are not doctors and this is in no way intended to be used as medical advice. We cannot be held responsible for your results. As with any product, service or supplement, use at your own risk. Always do your own research and consult with your personal physician before using.
Meg is an author at Cinnamon Hollow. She writes on a variety of topics sharing tips and ideas for daily life.
