Animations help young people in Norfolk and Suffolk manage difficult emotions

They've been developed by the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.

Author: Abi SimpsonPublished 6th Apr 2021

Special animations have been designed to help children and young people in Norfolk and Suffolk cope with difficult emotions.

They've been developed by the children, families, and young people's mental health team in Norfolk.

WATCH: They focus on three different methods young people can use to help them handle difficult emotions.

STOPP - helps young people create space so that they can think about their emotional reaction to something which has happened.

OA - it stands for 'opposite actions' and helps young people change the intensity of emotions by encouraging them to do the opposite of how they feel, for example by being active when they feel sad.

TIPP - which helps young people to manage when they feel overwhelmed by emotions.

The films are going to be used alongside therapy to support children and young people with complex needs, as well as in group sessions and during webinars aimed at parents and carers.

They're also available online.

Ruth Turner, who's a Principle Clinical Psychologist, said: "We are really excited about this project, which we hope will make a real difference to young people by teaching them skills to help regulate their emotions as they move forwards with their lives.

“A lot of our support groups are now held online as a result of coronavirus, so we decided to commission these animations to make those sessions more engaging and fun.

"By presenting the techniques visually as well as verbally, we hope that they will resonate with more people and be easier for those with a variety of different learning styles to remember.

“We chose to focus on STOPP, OA and TIPP as young people told us these were the interventions they found most helpful.

"We have continued to work with them throughout the design process so that we can ensure the animations will meet their needs, and feedback so far has been very positive.

“We are now looking forward to rolling out the animations further so that they can help more young people to manage difficult emotions in their everyday lives.”

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