How to talk to your kids about their mental health

“Part of the stigma around mental health can be broken by us about being more matter of fact about it,” says Dr. Alexandra Hamlet, PsyD, a clinical psychologist in the Mood Disorders Center at the Child Mind Institute. “We should talk about it like we talk about physical illnesses. I do think it depends on your kid ( if they’re already anxious, they may catastrophize it, so think about the impact) but otherwise, I think information helps. Perhaps you can say, ‘Mom has to take a pill so that she’s not as sad and it helps her brain stay more positive.’