Resources for: Parents and Carers and Depression and Low Mood
Difficult events and experiences can leave us in low spirits or cause depression. It could be relationship problems, when someone close to you dies, sleep problems, stress at work, bullying, chronic illness or pain. Sometimes it's possible to feel down without there being an obvious reason. Reference
See a range of supports and services that may help you.
Breathing Space
Breathing Space is a free, confidential phoneline for anyone in Scotland over the age of 16 who is feeling low, anxious or depressed.
Helpline number: 0800 83 85 87
Web: https://breathingspace.scot/
Brave
BRAVE was developed for children and teenagers who experience Separation Anxiety Disorder, Social Phobia, Specific Phobia, and Generalised Anxiety Disorder.
Web: www.brave-online.com/
Campaign Against Living Miserably
CALM has a website, helpline 5pm -midnight and webchat open 365 days a year, offering practical suggestions for all of life's problems - whether that's anxiety, relationship concerns, health worries, money worries or suicidal thoughts.
Helpline number: 0800 58 58 58
Web: www.thecalmzone.net/
Crisis Counselling (Erskine Counselling)
Crisis Counselling offers counselling therapy to children and young people aged 10 and over experiencing emotional and mental health difficulties. Referral through Education services.
Web: www.crisiscounselling.co.uk/
Distress Brief Intervention Service (Young person)
The Distress Brief Intervention (DBI) service provides support quickly to young people who are experiencing distress and feeling overwhelmed emotionally. Referrals are made by your GP or the police if aged 16-24 years (or up to 26 years if you are care experienced), or someone in school or college (from age 14 years). The service will contact you within 24 hours of your referral and will support you for up to 14 days, working with you to address some of the difficulties you may be experiencing now and in the future.
Web: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64l1JrM8Tio
Feeling Good
Feeling Good offers Positive Mental Training audio programmes which can help you feel better, lift your mood and recover from stress, anxiety and depression by building resilience and developing positive feelings.
Web: www.feelinggood.app/
Happy Maps
HappyMaps website pools some of the best mental health resources for parents and carers, and for young people and children, in one place.
Web: www.happymaps.co.uk/
Lifelink
A confidential counselling service accessed through West Dunbartonshire secondary schools, where young people can chat to a counsellor to help manage personal and social issues which may be affecting their life.
Web: https://www.lifelink.org.uk/
Living Life
A free phone service run by a team of therapists, offering appointment-based telephone support based on cognitive behavioural therapy for anyone in Scotland over 16 years of age with low mood, mild to moderate depression, or anxiety.
Helpline number: 0800 328 9655
Web: www.breathingspace.scot/living-life/
MindEd
MindEd is a free educational resource on children, young people, adults and older people's mental health. Find information for Professionals and Volunteers, for Education and Healthcare staff working in Education Settings, and for Parents and Carers.
Web: www.minded.org.uk/
Mood Gym
The Moodgym app is like an interactive self-help book which helps you to learn and practise skills which can help to prevent and manage symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Web: www.moodgym.com.au/
NHS Inform
NHS inform is Scotland's national health information service helping the people in Scotland to make informed decisions about their own health and the health of the people they care for. Also includes a service directory with details of health and wellbeing services across Scotland.
Web: www.nhsinform.scot
SafeSpot
SafeSpot is designed to help you through tough spots. It gives you your own personalised coping plan, useful strategies and tools to help and directions to local resources to help you - all at your fingertips. Includes information on a range of mental health issues on the 'safespotopedia'.
Web: www.safespot.org.uk/
Samaritans
A 24 hour support service for anyone who’s struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement or pressure.
Web: www.samaritans.org
Self-help App for the Mind (SAM)
A simple app to help you manage anxiety, depression and loneliness, with breathing exercises, an anxiety tracker and distraction feature, which is helpful if you’re feeling panicky.
Web: www.mindgarden-tech.co.uk/
SHOUT Crisis text service
Shout is the UK's first and only free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.
Helpline number: 85258 free text support service
Web: www.giveusashout.org/
Smiling Mind
Smiling Mind is a unique tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to your life through daily meditation and mindfulness exercises which you can practice from any device.
Web: www.smilingmind.com.au/smiling-mind-app
stem4 - supporting teenage mental health
Stem4 promotes positive mental health in teenagers and those who support them. Discover stem4's free guides to manage mental health issues, free supportive apps and mental health videos.
Web: www.stem4.org.uk/
Stepping Stones
Help for people over 16 years old in West Dunbartonshire who are experiencing common mental health difficulties such as depression, anxiety or stress. Stepping Stones also offers a Bereavement and Loss support service.
Phone: 0141 941 2929
Web: www.stepstones.org.uk
The Leamy Foundation
A community-led Mental Health Organisation established in response to West Dunbartonshire residents' need for accessible support in times of need due to challenges associated with loneliness, or anxiety/depression
Phone: 01389 759 769
Web: www.theleamyfoundation.com/
The Mix
The Mix is a UK based charity that provides free, confidential support for young people under 25 via online, social and mobile.
Phone: 0808 808 4994
Web: www.themix.org.uk/
Time for You - SAMH support service
Time for You is an online wellbeing support service for anyone experiencing mild to moderate emotional or mental health difficulties aged 16 and over and living in Scotland. Time for You offers access to Wellbeing Coaching and Counselling for anyone experiencing symptoms that have a limited effect on their daily life.
Web: www.samh.org.uk/about-us/our-work/time-for-you?mc_cid=00f4aeddf4&mc_eid=abf485ff65
Heads Up Mental Health Support
NHS GGC information on mental health conditions, mental health advice, how you can support yourself or the people you care for, the services available to you and the range of interventions.
Web: www.nhsggc.scot/your-health/heads-up-mental-health-support/
Feeling Good Teens
Feeling Good offers Positive Mental Training audio programmes which can help you feel better, lift your mood and recover from stress, anxiety and depression by building resilience and developing positive feelings.
Web: https://www.feelinggood.app/teens-download/
Get Self Help
This website provides resources for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT).
CBT has been proven to help mental health problems. This website provides CBT self help and therapy resources, including worksheets and information sheets, plus videos and self help mp3s.
Web: https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/
Anger - a self help guide
Do you get frustrated and annoyed by the slightest thing?
Do you find yourself saying hurtful things when someone has annoyed you?
Have you damaged or thrown things because you were so furious?
Have you been physically aggressive towards someone?
If the answer to any of these questions is ‘yes’, you may be experiencing problems relating to
anger and you may find this workbook helpful.
Web: https://www.mcgill.ca/counselling/files/counselling/anger_moodjuice_self-help_guide.pdf
SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health)
Whether you’re living with a mental health problem or supporting someone who is, accessing information about a condition is vital. SAMH provides resources, support and online information to help.
Helpline number: 0344 800 0550
Web: https://www.samh.org.uk/
NHSGGC Perinatal Mental Health Service
Scotland’s first specialist perinatal mental health inpatient and community service for mothers, babies and their families. We are a comprehensive service providing care and treatment to women who are pregnant or are up to one year postnatal and are at risk of, or are affected by, mental illness. We also offer expert advice to women considering pregnancy if they are at risk of a serious mental illness.
Phone: 0141 211 6500 for professionals
Web: https://www.nhsggc.scot/hospitals-services/services-a-to-z/perinatal-mental-health-service/
PANDAS perinatal depression awareness and support
PANDAS is a community offering hope, empathy and peer-to-peer support for every parent, family or network affected by perinatal mental illness.
Helpline number: 0808 1961 776
Web: https://pandasfoundation.org.uk/
Parenting Mental Health
PMH is one of the few charities in the UK that specifically helps parents who are supporting a child with mental health challenges and whose needs and impact for positive change are all too often overlooked. Current support includes the Partnering not Parenting programme, a safe Facebook community with a variety of sub-groups to reduce isolation, Listening Circles, online support groups, as well as respite care. The work they do equips parents to deal with and cope more effectively with their situation, provides access to free resources, enables more appropriate support, better help for their child and improved mental health within the family.
Web: https://www.parentingmentalhealth.org/?
Humm.ly music wellness app
An accessible and effective tool based on the science of music therapy with customised technologies designed for long-lasting positive impact on mind, body, and soul. Humm.ly is the first and only app to partner with the field of music therapy, emphasising the importance of providing content created by board-certified music therapists for music and meditation.
Web: https://www.humm.ly/