Making children and young people Mood Masters

Young people are becoming masters of managing their mood thanks to a course run by Kirklees and Calderdale child and adolescent mental health service (CAMHS).

‘Mood Master’ is a series of weekly workshops aimed at young people aged over 12, giving them an opportunity to take part in discussions and engage in tasks which help address emotions and feelings.

Some of the themes of the sessions include sleep, understanding emotion, setting goals, dealing with stressful situations and resolving conflict. The aim of the sessions is to teach better management of emotion and behaviour to young people to promote positive mental health.

Part of the session is dedicated to reflecting on the week and rating your mood, while the rest is used to talk about topics and take part in exercises and activities.

In a survey carried out with some of the young people who attended the sessions, 100% of them said they enjoyed Mood Masters and would recommend it to other young people.

Jess Adcock, mental health practitioner, said: “The Mood Master course has been really successful and has had a lot of regular attendees. It has many benefits – the young people get to learn about taking responsibility for their own wellbeing and it’s really good for social interaction too.

“The peer support element of the group is really important – by coming together as a group they recognise that others are experiencing the same things as them and they can help each other.

“Coming to the course has helped to improve the young people’s confidence and social anxiety, as speaking and interacting with the group has a positive effect on their self-esteem. It’s also a great motivator for them as they have something to look forward to and attend every week.”