Low mood and self-esteem support

What is low mood and self-esteem support?

If a young person ever talks about not wanting to be here, or you are worried they are in danger, do not wait. Call 999 or go to A&E. You can also call Samaritans free any time on 116 123, call Papyrus HOPELINE247 on 0800 068 4141 (for people under 35), or text SHOUT to 85258. For urgent mental-health support in England, Scotland or Wales, you can also call 111 and choose the mental-health option. In Northern Ireland, call Lifeline free on 0808 808 8000, or contact your GP, GP out-of-hours service or local crisis service.

Low mood and low self-esteem are common parts of growing up. A young person might feel down, flat, unsure of themselves, or full of self-criticism for a while, often after a tough patch such as friendship trouble, exam stress, bullying, or changes at home. This is not the same as clinical depression, though low self-esteem over a long time can make low mood and anxiety more likely.

Support here is about building wellbeing and self-worth, not treating an illness. It includes the everyday things that help a young person feel valued and able to cope: feeling listened to, having steady routines, sleep and activity, time with people who care, and chances to build on their strengths.

The aim is to help a young person feel more like themselves and more able to handle life's ups and downs, and to know when feeling low has tipped into something that needs more help.

Types, options & approaches

There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.

Options at a glance

These are the main approaches described in this guide. The right option depends on the diagnosis, your goals and what your clinician thinks is safe.

Preparing for your treatment

• If there is any worry about immediate safety, treat that first with 999 or A&E.
• Notice patterns: how long the low mood or low confidence has lasted, and what makes it better or worse.
• Think about recent changes, such as friendships, school, social media, or events at home.
• Look for moments to talk side by side, during an activity, rather than face to face under pressure.
• Consider what your child enjoys and is good at, to build on their strengths.
• If you are considering counselling, check the school's offer first and the counsellor's experience with young people.
• Reflect on the messages a young person hears about themselves at home and online.

What happens

Supporting low mood and self-esteem is mostly about everyday things rather than formal treatment. It starts with a young person feeling heard and accepted. Listening without rushing to fix, taking feelings seriously, and offering specific praise about effort and who they are, all help self-worth grow.

Steady routines, good sleep, activity and time with people who care give a strong foundation. Helping a young person notice and gently challenge harsh self-criticism, and find groups, clubs or interests where they feel they belong and can succeed, builds confidence over time. A healthier relationship with social media matters too, because comparison online strongly affects how young people see themselves.

Where more help is useful, school pastoral support or counselling can give a young person space to explore feelings and build coping skills. There is no quick fix; self-esteem builds gradually, and small, consistent support usually does more than one big conversation.

Throughout, it helps to keep an eye on whether low mood is becoming more than a phase. If it is lasting most of the day for weeks, affecting school, sleep and friendships, or coming with thoughts of self-harm, that points towards seeing the GP or a mental health service.

Is this treatment right for me?

A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.

Before you decide

Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.

The main thing to watch is not mistaking deeper difficulty for an ordinary low patch. Support and patience help most young people, but if low mood is lasting, severe, or comes with thoughts of self-harm, that needs proper assessment. Trust your instinct and seek help if you are worried.

Published figures to discuss

There are no meaningful 'success' or 'complication' percentages for everyday support of low mood and self-esteem, and it would be misleading to attach them. The value lies in helping a young person feel valued and more able to cope, and in recognising when feeling low has tipped into something, such as depression or self-harm, that needs proper assessment. The main pitfall to avoid is mistaking a more serious difficulty for an ordinary low patch.

These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.

What happens afterwards

There is no physical recovery. 'Afterwards' means confidence and mood building gradually with steady support, and knowing the signs that mean it is time to seek more help.

• Slow, uneven progress with better and harder days
• Needing reassurance and patience rather than quick fixes
• Confidence growing in some areas before others
• Ordinary dips in mood around stressful times, such as exams

Aftercare

• Keep listening without judging, and notice and name your child's strengths often.
• Offer specific praise about effort and character, not just results.
• Keep routines, sleep, activity and time together steady.
• Support a healthier relationship with social media and comparison online.
• Gently help your child challenge harsh self-talk with real examples.
• Keep crisis numbers handy: 999 or A&E for emergencies; Samaritans 116 123; Papyrus HOPELINE247 0800 068 4141; text SHOUT to 85258; in England, Scotland or Wales, call 111 and choose the mental-health option; in Northern Ireland, call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.
• Look after your own wellbeing too; young people pick up on how the adults around them cope.

• Regular, low-pressure time together planned
• Strengths and interests to build on noted
• Sleep and routine supported
• A healthier social media approach agreed
• Crisis numbers saved in phones
• School pastoral or counselling support explored if needed
• Warning signs that mean 'seek more help' clear in your mind

⚠ Get urgent help if…

• Any talk of not wanting to be here, feeling hopeless, or that others would be better off without them: call 999 or go to A&E now
• Any signs of self-harm, or thoughts of hurting themselves
• Low mood that lasts most of the day, most days, for two weeks or more
• Losing interest in everything, withdrawing from friends and family
• Big changes in eating, sleeping, or sudden weight change
• Signs of bullying, abuse, or being unsafe online or at home
• For urgent but non-emergency support: Samaritans 116 123, Papyrus HOPELINE247 0800 068 4141, or text SHOUT to 85258. For urgent mental-health support, call 111 and choose the mental-health option in England, Scotland or Wales; in Northern Ireland, call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 or contact GP out-of-hours

Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.

General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your psychiatrist gives you.

Results & realistic expectations

With steady, caring support, most young people who are feeling low or unsure of themselves gradually feel more like themselves again. A good outcome is a young person who feels more valued, more confident, and better able to cope with the normal ups and downs of life.

Support like this builds resilience rather than promising a young person will never feel low again, which would not be realistic. Importantly, it should never replace proper help when low mood is more than a phase. Knowing the warning signs, and acting on them, is part of looking after a young person well.

Self-esteem is built over time and can wobble at stressful points, such as exams, friendship changes or moving school. The support that helps, being listened to, encouraged, and able to build on strengths, stays valuable throughout childhood and beyond. A young person who feels valued and has people to turn to is better placed to handle future challenges.

Related tests, treatments or support

Support for low mood and self-esteem sits alongside the wider picture of a young person's life: school, friendships, sleep, activity and time online. If anxiety, depression, or other difficulties are also present, those may need their own help, and self-esteem support works best alongside, not instead of, addressing them.

Follow-up & long-term care

There is no fixed follow-up; much of this support is ongoing and woven into daily life, school and family. The key is to keep an eye on how a young person is doing and to step up to the GP or a mental health service if low mood is lasting, severe, or comes with thoughts of self-harm.

• Keep noticing and naming strengths and effort
• Keep routines, sleep and time together steady
• Support a healthy relationship with social media
• Stay alert to dips at stressful times and offer extra support
• Know the warning signs that mean it is time to seek more help

Repeat, follow-on and what comes next

• Self-esteem builds slowly and can dip again at stressful times; support is ongoing rather than a one-off.
• If low mood does not lift, or worsens, the level of help should be stepped up.
• What helps a young person changes as they grow, so approaches are revisited.
• If a more serious difficulty emerges, a formal assessment and different support are appropriate.

Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.

What good aftercare looks like

• Ongoing, low-pressure connection and encouragement at home
• Clear signs of when to step up to the GP or a mental health service
• Crisis numbers known and easy to find
• Links to reputable support such as YoungMinds and local services
• Attention to any underlying issue and support for the wider family

What affects the cost

Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:

• Whether support is free (school, community, GP) or private counselling
• The counsellor's training and experience with young people
• The number and frequency of any counselling sessions
• Whether family sessions or parent guidance are included
• Any add-on activities, programmes or resources
• Treatment of any underlying difficulty, such as anxiety or depression, if found

• Whether free school or community support could meet the need first
• The counsellor's qualifications and experience with young people
• How many sessions are suggested and at what frequency
• Whether parents or family are involved
• What happens if a more serious difficulty is identified
• How urgent concerns are handled and signposted
• Cancellation policy and any commitment required

On the NHS? Much support for low mood and self-esteem is provided through schools, communities and GPs at no cost; private counselling may be chosen for additional or quicker support.

You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.

Consent traps and marketing red flags

These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.

Choosing a specialist safely

• Check the psychiatrist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
• Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
• You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the psychiatrist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
• Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
• You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.

How Vuemedics verifies every consultant →

Take this to your consultation. A good psychiatrist will welcome every one of these.

• What practical things can we do at home to support my child's confidence?
• How can school help, and is counselling available there?
• How do we tell the difference between a low patch and something that needs more help?
• How should we handle social media and comparison online?
• What are the warning signs that mean we should see the GP or a mental health service?
• Where can we find reputable support and information for families?
• Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
• Will you be the psychiatrist who carries out my treatment, and who looks after me afterwards?
• What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
• What does a realistic result look like — and what can this treatment not achieve?
• What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
• Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
• What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?

Find a verified psychiatrist for low mood and self-esteem support

Every consultant is GMC-checked and independently reviewed. Search by postcode and distance, or switch to a map. Ordered by rating, relevance and recency — never by who pays.

How we made this page

Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →

Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.

Sources & standards: YoungMinds — Self-esteem and mental health: a guide for parents YoungMinds — Depression and low mood NHS — Raising low self-esteem Papyrus — HOPELINE247 (0800 068 4141) Samaritans — call 116 123 free, any time nidirect — Urgent and emergency care services (Northern Ireland) nidirect — GP out-of-hours service (Northern Ireland) NHS England — NHS 111 offering crisis mental-health support NHS inform (Scotland) — Get urgent mental-health help NHS 111 Wales — Mental health and wellbeing nidirect — Mental health emergency: Lifeline and crisis support (Northern Ireland)

Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.

Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.