London, ON – Parents who are looking for information to help them through some of the issues they may encounter with their teenagers now have a new place to turn. The Middlesex-London Health Unit added to its parenting resources today with the launch of six new videos, all of which address matters related to teenagers and mental health. These latest productions bring the total number of Parenting Teenagers videos in the Health Unit’s ever-expanding online video library to 19. The videos launched today focus on important teen-related mental health topics such as: Recognizing the Signs of Mental Illness, Talking with Your Teen About Mental Health, Promoting Mental Wellness and Getting Help for Mental Health Concerns.
“We know from a survey we did last year that parents prefer to access information on the Internet. The goal was to create the kind of resource that would not only support parents, but put the information where they would use it,” says Christine Preece, Manager of the Young Adult Team at the Middlesex-London Health Unit. “These new videos, and the ones we’ve done previously, provide parents of teenagers with an opportunity to obtain credible and evidence-based information that they can access at any time, from anywhere with an Internet connection.”
In addition to the six new videos about mental health, the Health Unit’s Parenting Teenagers video library also has videos that focus on important topics including drug and alcohol misuse, teen brain development, teen social development, communicating with teens, and parenting styles. In all, the videos have been viewed nearly 10,000 times.
Because there are many external influences that affect both parents and teens, parents often find it challenging to balance promoting their teen’s independence while at the same time monitoring and disciplining them. Despite the fact that teenagers tend to be very involved with their peers and friends, it’s important for parents to know that their teens do listen to them and consider them to be important influences in their lives.
All of the Parenting Teenagers videos can be accessed easily through the Health Unit’s website at www.healthunit.com/parenting-teens.aspx or on You Tube. Additional support and information for parents in the Middlesex-London area can also be accessed online at www.mentalhealth4kids.ca.
Media contact:
Dan Flaherty, Communications Manager, Middlesex-London Health Unit 519-663-5317 ext.2469 or 519-617-0570 (cell.)
Spokesperson:
Christine Preece, Manager of the Young Adult Team, Middlesex-London Health Unit