The NHS recently announced it would be opening a new service for new, expectant or bereaved mothers around England. The 26 new hubs will bring maternity services, reproductive health and psychological therapy together as one service to provide maternal mental health support for 6,000 mothers a year. Up to two in ten women are thought to experience ...

Having spent an extended period in a familiar environment away from the hustle and bustle of everyday school life, the sudden upcoming change in circumstances can spark many questions, anxieties and fears for children with autism. They might be unsure about what to expect at school, who they're going to sit next to in class, or awhat the new versio...

Bipolar is a relatively common yet debilitating mental health condition that affects over one-million people in the UK alone. While it affects everyone differently, it’s characterised by high, euphoric, or irritable periods called mania and low periods of depression that can lead to suicidal thoughts. While there isn't currently a cure for bi...

When children sleep well, you can see the benefits in all aspects of their lives. But when sleep becomes a challenge, you can feel that pressure everywhere. An estimated 40 - 80% of autistic children struggle with sleep issues. That’s almost twice as many as neurotypical children. When parents are battling with meltdowns caused by sensor...

You've probably heard of the 'fight-or-flight' response. When we sense danger, our bodies respond with temporary changes that were originally designed to enhance our ability to either run away or stand and defend ourselves. This is fight-or-flight - your body's natural reaction to danger. Suddenly your heart races, your breath quickens, and your mu...

Anxiety is one of the most common mental health conditions experienced by children and young people and can be devastating for the whole family. While it’s normal for everyone to worry at times, anxiety disorders are much more serious and can significantly affect your child’s life. In 2020, research from the NHS discovered that the prop...

For autistic children, attending school can be an intimidating and overwhelming experience. However, in most cases, there should be a range of people who may be able to help, including the school’s Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Coordinator (SENDCo), inclusion managers, speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, ...

Since autism was first diagnosed in the 1940s, males have and continue to be, more frequently diagnosed as autistic than females. Lots of theories attempt to explain the difference, including biological reasons, problematic diagnostic measures, and environmental factors. However, no single factor has been proven to account for the gender difference...

Understanding spoken language, making sense of, sometimes, complex sentence structure, reading body language, and translating tone of voice can all cause problems for autistic children and young people . However, there are many straightforward, practical things parents and teachers can do right away to better support their children and those they w...

Children flourish when they feel safe and connected to those around them. When an autistic child’s needs are met, they are engaged, confident and more capable of adjusting to change. There are many social barriers that can prevent this outcome. But most can be dealt with by increasing our own understanding, challenging our assumptions and hel...

Having an autistic child brings with it many challenges. In a world geared for the most part towards neurotypical people, your child’s perspective can be hard to understand and some of their behaviours aren’t always easy to handle. But if you’re going through the diagnosis process at the moment, it’s important to know that i...

Bipolar is one of the most common, yet debilitating mental health conditions in the UK. Affecting every area of your life from relationships to work to socialising, Bipolar also increases your risk of suicide 20 fold4. With the right treatment, Bipolar can be successfully managed, and those with the disorder can go on to live happy, fulfilling live...

Many of us look forward to Christmas as a time to celebrate, spend time with friends and family and have a break from the normal 9 to 5 of life. This blog suggests 10 ways to ensure your mental health doesn’t suffer at Christmas. Christmas can be a time of the year that brings a lot of challenges in terms of our mental health, and many of us ...

What is trauma? Psychologists refer to trauma as events that would be upsetting to almost everyone and that involve a reaction of fear, helplessness and terror. Trauma can be a psychological, emotional response to an event or an experience that is deeply distressing or disturbing and can cause the individual to develop limiting, sometimes inaccurat...

In the final part of her ADHD series, Dr Sabina Dosani, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Partner London, introduces Luke, a patient she was able to help with his ADHD. ADHD is one of the most common diagnoses for children in the UK and it is thought that 1 in 10 children will display some signs. For some children, their ADHD is severe...

In the second part of the ADHD series, Dr Sabina Dosani, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Partner London, discusses some common signs your child may have ADHD. ADHD affects thousands of children in the UK and can cause significant distress and disruption. The symptoms of ADHD can often be confused with other conditions and may get wri...

In this blog, Dr Sabina Dosani, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist and Clinical Partner London, looks at what ADHD is and what the causes are thought to be. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a behavioural syndrome characterised by core symptoms of hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention. Some children diagnosed with ADHD are pred...

In this series of blogs, Dr Sabina Dosani explores anxiety in children and adolescents. Here we look at the signs parents may want to look out for in their children. There are several anxiety conditions that children and teenagers can experience and often the symptoms are very different to the symptoms that adults might experience. It’s also ...

As part of her series of childhood anxiety disorders, Dr Sabina Dosani has used a patient she has worked with previously (all names have been changed) to discuss how OCD can present itself in teenagers and the treatment options available. OCD 1 in 100 children and teenagers suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). A person with obsessive th...

In this blog, child and adolescent psychiatrist, Dr Sabina Dosani, explores when it is the right time to seek professional help for your child. Some anxiety in children is normal All children and adults feel stressed from time to time. Experiencing some anxiety in childhood and beyond is normal. As parents know, most toddlers fear monster...