What happens in a GP appointment for mental health – for 11-18 year olds

Getting ready for your GP appointment

If you've booked a GP appointment to get mental health support, you might be wondering what will happen and what to say.

It can be difficult to share how we feel. We might also feel worried about our GP not understanding or not offering the support we want. Lots of us feel nervous or unsure, especially if it's our first appointment – you're not alone.

This guide will help you feel more prepared, so you know what to expect, how to talk to them and have more confidence for your appointment. It also explains what to do if you have a problem with your GP.

No matter how you're feeling or what you're experiencing, talking to your GP can be the first step in getting professional support.

Me and my mum agreed to take the first step and go to my GP. That made the biggest difference to my hope, motivation and outlook on my illness, as we made decisions together that I never could've made on my own.

How can I prepare for a GP appointment?

It can feel scary to talk about our thoughts and feelings with someone we don't know, but our GP can offer mental health support.

The appointment might feel short, and you might forget things you want to say. So being prepared can help you get the most out of talking to a GP.

A couple of days before your appointment, it might help to:

• Write down what you want to say
• Make notes of how you feel or what you're experiencing
• Practise what you might say in your head, or open up to family, friends, partners or someone else you trust
• Talk things through first with someone you don't know, like a helpline or textline
• Speak to other young people on peer support forums, like The Mix Community and Childline Message Boards
• Look for information that helps explain how you're feeling
• Tell someone when your appointment is, so they can support you before or after
• Ask someone in advance if you want their support during the appointment
• Think of any questions you might want to ask the GP
• Prepare things to have with you, like a drink, snack or something to help if you're nervous, like a fidget spinner
• Decide on a quiet place where you feel comfortable if your appointment is by phone or video – check the internet or phone connection

You might not feel completely prepared for your first appointment, and that's OK. All you can do is try your best.

Tips for an in-person appointment

If you're getting ready for an in-person appointment, we have some practical tips and advice:

It helped me to have written down everything that I wanted to get across to make sure we had covered everything in the appointment.

How do I talk to a GP about my mental health?

Talking about your mental health to a GP for the first time can feel really hard. But they speak to lots of people who need mental health support, every day.

They might start by asking you to confirm your details, like your name and date of birth. Then they'll ask what you'd like to talk about, or how they can help.

To discuss your mental health, try starting with something like:

• “I'd like to talk about how I've been feeling / my mental health / something difficult that's been going on at school / home.”
• “Recently I've been struggling with my feelings and I'd like some help.”
• “I've been feeling anxious / low / stressed and I want to talk about it.”
• “I'm not sure how to explain it, but I'm not feeling OK.”
• “I'd like to talk about what support I can get for mental health.”
• “I'd like to talk about ____ (something that's happened / certain feelings).”

You can also tell your doctor if you have any specific needs for the appointment. For example:

• “I might need to take some time to answer your questions.”
• “I might need you to explain things more than once, or explain things in a simpler way so that I can understand.”
• “I might need to write this down on my phone.”
• “I'd like time to ask my own questions.”
• “I haven't told anyone before, so there are some things I might find hard to talk about.”
• “I have my parent / carer / guardian / sibling in the waiting room. I might ask them to come in if I feel overwhelmed.”

Telling your GP about difficult feelings and experiences might not be easy. But try to use words that feel natural to you. Try to explain what's been happening in your daily life, like at school or home, your sleep or eating habits.

To help you describe your feelings or experiences, visit our pages on:

• Understanding your feelings
• Understanding mental health
• Types of mental health problems
• What is mental wellbeing?

If my nerves get too much or I'm struggling with my anxiety, I can give my notes directly to my GP and discuss the issues, which has often helped me get over the initial anxiety.

Will my GP tell anyone else what I've said?

What you say in an appointment should be kept private between you and your GP. It shouldn't matter if it's about physical or mental health – they won't usually share what you've said with anyone else.

But a GP might share information if they're worried about your safety or someone else's safety. Like if you're being abused or you're at risk of abuse. If they do need to share something, they'll usually explain why.

Your doctor might also ask to share information in other ways. For example, they might need to share what you've said to refer you to another service, like Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

They might encourage you to share what's going on with whoever you live with. Especially if you're referred to CAMHS or you discuss medication. If you'd like help telling a parent, carer, guardian or trusted adult, your GP can support you with this.

What happens at the end of an appointment?

What happens at the end depends on what you've shared about your mental health and what your GP thinks might help. It also depends on the support available where you live.

Your GP might offer you more than 1 type of treatment or support, but you don't have to decide right away. Tell them if you want more time or another appointment before deciding what happens next.

At the end of your appointment, your GP might:

• Talk you through what might be going on and suggest a possible diagnosis – but for an official diagnosis they'd need to refer you for assessment
• Refer you for an assessment or support from a mental health service for young people, like CAMHS
• Arrange another appointment before deciding on next steps
• Plan to keep checking in on your physical and mental health over a period of time
• Help you get support like counselling at school, depending on where you live and your age
• Suggest local or online support, like youth services, helplines or charities
• Talk through treatment options to try yourself, like self-care or lifestyle changes
• Support you in talking to a parent, carer, guardian or trusted adult
• Discuss options for medication