Probably one of the best things you can do is listen to your friend, encourage them to talk if they can, and let them speak without interruption or judgement.
Check in on them regularly. Trust your instinct, if they say they’re ok but you don’t think they are, be vigilant. Try to encourage them to speak to their parents or a health or education professional. You can talk to any professional including teachers and school staff including school nurses, doctors and nurses, social workers or health visitors.
And if you’re really worried, please call our 24/7 mental health crisis line free on 0800 915 4644 to talk with a trained call handler who will provide advice, support and signposting to a range of community services. It’s open all day and all night, seven days a week. The crisis line is available for children and young people from the age of six. You can use the number whether or not you are already receiving mental health services. No formal request for support is needed.
In an emergency, please dial 999 or 112 from a mobile.
There are lots of helpsheets and self-help suggestions to look at here.
There is also lots of helpful information and links here, so please take a look and see what would be helpful for you or your friend.
Self-care tips and videos for young people : Every Mind Matters NHS
This website has lots of excellent advice on mental health and self-care for young people, and a range of helpful self-care videos to help you take good care of yourself.
Kooth.com
You can also find free, confidential online support by visiting Kooth which offers one-to-one text based counselling, therapeutic messaging, as well as peer-to-peer support through moderated forums and articles.