Anna Freud

08/08/2025

Let’s not scale down our ambition for the next generation. There is still time to shape the Young Futures Hubs into something truly transformative — a national network of welcoming, evidence-informed youth-led spaces where every young person feels seen, heard and supported.

By listening to young people and learning from what works in communities, we have the opportunity to transform our approach to mental health prevention.

Read the full response from our CEO Professor Eamon McCrory: https://orlo.uk/OxrI1

06/08/2025

RSHE (Relationships, S*x and Health Education), when taught well, provides a critical space for students to explore mental health, emotional regulation and strategies for help-seeking.

Earlier this month, the Department for Education updated its guidance on RSHE. Our education experts have shared the positives from these changes and what still needs to be done to ensure young people’s mental wellbeing is more of a priority.

Read our full blog: https://orlo.uk/ml9Lt

*xAndHealthEducation

04/08/2025

If you work in education, you may want to help students with staying safe online but, without being a digital expert, are unsure how to.

But don’t worry – there are many meaningful ways you can help, even if you’re not a tech whiz!

One of our education and mental health experts has shared some easy-to-action ideas which have been published in Teachwire’s article:

Help staff support students online with empathy, peer guidance and open discussion to build digital resilience and promote safe internet use

31/07/2025

Education workers, has your self-care taken a back seat among the pressures of summer term?

We understand – high workload, ambitious targets, exam season, managing behaviour and supporting students’ wellbeing leaves little time or energy for you.

But the summer holidays can be the perfect time to rest, reset and refocus on your wellbeing.

Start building self-care habits now and when September comes, you’ll:
• feel refreshed and ready for the new term
• be able to support your students better
• have a bank of techniques to help you when things get tough

Here are some self-care ideas to get you started. Check out our self-care summer resource produced with Education Support for more tips: https://www.annafreud.org/resources/schools-and-colleges/self-care-summer-advice-for-education-staff/

Whatever you do this summer, we wish you a restful and restorative break ☀

30/07/2025

"A child in distress is not looking for attention, but for understanding."

We believe mental wellbeing is the foundation from which children and young people achieve their potential. By continually expanding our understanding and translating it into practice, we can ensure they get the right support at the right time.

This September, we’re bringing together psychoanalytic and psychodynamic practitioners, academics and researchers from around the world for the 46th International Psychoanalytic Child Psychotherapy Colloquium.

Don’t miss this opportunity to network and share practice with your colleagues and learn from experts in the field.

Book your place now: https://orlo.uk/CgC3i

29/07/2025

For us – a mental health charity for children and young people – the development of a new 10-Year Health Plan presented an opportunity for systemic change.

We fed into the government’s consultation last year, calling for:
💜 a prevention strategy
💜 more early years support
💜 better understanding of adolescence
💜 early trauma-informed support
💜 early support in schools and colleges.

While we've waited, the situation has worsened. Recent NHS data shows 1 in 4 people aged 16-24 have a mental health condition.

Here are three ways we believe the plan delivers on children and young people’s mental health, and three things that have been missed.

What do you think of the health plan?

Read more in our new opinion piece from our CEO, Professor Eamon McCrory, in CYP Now: https://orlo.uk/5aOBu

25/07/2025

New research has found that negative school experiences generate twice the emotional burden in autistic and ADHD adolescents compared to neurotypical students.

We were proud to support this study from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, also in partnership with UCL.

Study co-author Dr Georgia Pavlaopoulou, Associate Professor at UCL and Anna Freud, said:

“Accounts of emotional dysregulation – or difficulty in managing and controlling emotional responses - in autism and ADHD are too often shaped by neurotypical ideas of how emotions should look and be expressed. This often overlooks the real experiences of neurodivergent young people and the context behind their emotional responses, which only they can truly provide.”

Find out more: https://orlo.uk/uQX9H

22/07/2025

Our CEO, Professor Eamon McCrory, attended the Royal Charity Polo Cup recently where we were one of 10 charities being supported!

Thank you so much to their Royal Highnesses the Princess of Wales, our Patron, the Prince of Wales and everyone involved at the match for supporting our vital work for children and young people. This will help us build the mental wellbeing of the next generation, and a world where every child can thrive.

18/07/2025

Thank you to Al Jazeera English for speaking to David Trickey from the UK Trauma Council, an Anna Freud project, to highlight how so many refugee children experience war and the aftermath of traumatic events. Read more: https://orlo.uk/dHhdO

17/07/2025

Parenting interventions are structured sets of activities to support parents and carers to best help their children. They can provide treatment or prevent mental ill health from worsening.

Foundations, commissioned by the Department for Education, published a new practice guide yesterday, underpinned by an evidence review carried out by a team of our researchers alongside UCL. They found structured parenting interventions can improve outcomes for both children with SEND, and their parents’ mental wellbeing.

Leading the research, Prof. Nick Midgley, Director of the Child Attachment and Psychological Therapies Research Unit at Anna Freud, said:

“While it can be incredibly rewarding, parenting a child or young person with disabilities can also bring challenges, so access to evidence-based support and interventions is essential.

“However, until now, we’ve only had a partial understanding of the most effective approaches for supporting parents and carers.

“Our review found that parenting interventions can be effective at improving outcomes for a wide range of children and young people, and can help parent carers too, including reducing stress and improving confidence in parenting.”

Do you think this guidance would be useful for you?

Watch this space for the guidance on what senior leaders and practitioners can do when developing interventions!

Read more: https://orlo.uk/mIMHD

17/07/2025

Are you expecting your first child? Are you currently in your second or third trimester? 🗓️ 👶

Help us improve future mental health support for expecting parents by taking part in our research partner survey!

All you have to do is complete a 15 minute online survey on the thoughts and feelings you’ve had during your pregnancy.

Take the survey: https://orlo.uk/Ru7UB

16/07/2025

We all need to better understand ADHD and autistic children’s mental health in schools and how we can improve it.

And now we’re thrilled to share that this research study, supported by us, has won an award!

Co-authored by UCL and Anna Freud academic Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou and the MRC and UKRI funded Youth Researcher Panel of the RE-STAR project, this paper has been awarded the British Journal of Psychiatry (BJPsych) Editor’s Choice Award.

This award celebrates exceptional and innovative research published in the journal.

Our very own Dr Georgia Pavlopoulou says: “We are deeply honoured to receive this award. This recognition is not just about the publication itself – it reflects a commitment to doing research with rather than on neurodivergent young people.”

“This paper is a testament to what becomes possible when young people’s expertise is valued and supported in meaningful, long-term ways.”

Professor Edmund Sonuga-Barke, lead author and overall project lead, says: “Our hope is that this honour from the BJP will encourage other teams to recognise the scientific value of deep participatory approaches.” Read more about the award: https://orlo.uk/pNk9T

And read the study here: https://orlo.uk/Q57ha