Mind Your Head

A factual book about mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, eating disorders, substance abuse, self-harm and suicide. The book uses easy to understand language to explain the actual conditions and explains how to get support. I found the review of drugs and their effects on the body and brain highly informative.

The book demonstrates that similar to physical conditions, mental conditions are part of the human experience and thus helps to reduce the stigma often associated with mental health conditions.

This comprehensive book provides teenage readers with the opportunity to get themselves informed about mental health in an uncomplicated, relatable, and non-threatening way. Aimed at readers aged 12+, the book gives its readers a straightforward but non-patronising overview of mental health and an insight into many teen-relevant topics; amongst others, the author provides honest and frank overviews of stress, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, bullying, peer pressure, addiction and self-harm.

Despite the subject matter, this is not a daunting read; the book is split into helpful sections, making it easy to understand and extremely user-friendly, its simple layout and illustrations making it accessible for all. Dawson expertly writes with humour, without being disrespectful to sensitive topics, making for an entertaining read; Dawson becomes, in many ways, the reader’s ‘no-nonsense’ friend.

Alongside the author’s content and the medical facts behind mental illness that are presented, case studies (or personal stories) not only enable the reader to see the impact of mental health difficulties on real people, they also, and perhaps more importantly, highlight that young people are not alone in the feelings they may be experiencing. Interactive activities for the reader appear throughout the book, allowing for reflection on their own mental state. In addition to this, the book also contains the advice of a clinical psychologist as well as offering practical support and helplines for young people to follow should further action be wanted.

There is a desperate need for more age-appropriate non-fiction specifically for young adults on the subject of mental health and illness. This simply written yet informative book has endless benefits that will have a much-needed impact on young people; at a bare minimum it will encourage its readers to take responsibility for their own wellbeing.

It is also a recommended and useful read for parents, carers, teachers and all of those who work with young people. Copies should be held in every school and every public library.

‘This whole book is one great big stonking potential trigger’

I loved this book the moment I read that line. It’s a great mix of humour and advice, differing from the more formal help books that you might read. It won’t necessarily defeat your problem, but it will hand you the sword and encourage you to do it yourself. As a girl that came from a deep background of bullying, you know things won’t always stop overnight. You can’t expect a book to kill off all your monsters, no matter how much we would like it to, and this book understands that.

Georgia, age 13