When Your Teenager Will Not See the GP

A teenager who refuses the GP may agree to a different way of going, and if they won’t, you can still go.

A two-minute read, three things to try, for ages 11 to 16.

Where to start

Ask for a double appointment, and write down what you’ve seen and for how long.
Tell your teenager beforehand that they can ask to see the GP on their own for part of it.
If they won’t go, go yourself and say what you’ve seen.
You’ve been worried about your teenager for weeks, and they won’t see the GP.
Tell them that low mood is ordinary work for a GP, and that they’ll have a say in what happens next.
If your child has hurt themselves, or talks about not wanting to be alive, stay calm, thank them if they have told you, don’t promise to keep it secret, and act that day: ask the surgery for an urgent appointment, and if it is closed, use the crisis line. England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000. Help is free, confidential and available at any hour. Whoever answers may share information to arrange care or keep someone safe.
If your child is badly hurt, or may have taken too much of a medicine, get medical help straight away, even if they seem well. Call 999. Or go to your nearest A&E. Help is free and available at any hour.

The rest of the tip, and why it works, is in the library.

Sources

YoungMinds, Getting support from the GP, Parents’ A to Z mental health guide (reviewed 2026); YoungMinds, How to speak to your GP (reviewed 2025); General Medical Council, 0 to 18 years: guidance for all doctors (2007, updated 2024), paragraphs 15 and 49 to 52; NHS, Information for under-16s on parents and guardians accessing your doctor’s services (reviewed 2026); Royal College of Psychiatrists, Depression in Children and Young People (2025); NICE, Depression in Children and Young People: Identification and Management (NG134, 2019), recommendations 1.5.1, 1.5.4, 1.5.5, 1.5.6, 1.5.7 and 1.6.1

It goes with

When Your Child Has Gone Flat. A chapter for parents watching a child lose interest in the things they used to love.

The first chapter you open here is free to read in full.

Free on this subject

Low mood. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.
General mental health. What to do first, what helps, and who else can help. Free to read and to print.

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If you need help right now

If you or your child is in immediate danger: 999 · Go to your nearest A&E · 24/7.
If either you or your child is in a mental health crisis: NHS 111 · England, Scotland and Wales: call 111 and choose the mental-health option. Northern Ireland: call Lifeline on 0808 808 8000 · 24/7.
If your child is under 19 and needs to talk to someone themselves: Childline · 0800 1111 · 24/7 · www.childline.org.uk.
If you are worried that a child is being harmed or is at risk: NSPCC Helpline · 0808 800 5000 · Mon-Fri 10am-4pm by phone; email 11am-4pm, seven days a week. An email sent when the service is closed is not received. · email help@nspcc.org.uk · www.nspcc.org.uk/about-us/our-services/nspcc-helpline · If the NSPCC service is closed and the concern cannot wait, call the police on 101. You can also contact the child’s local out-of-hours children’s social care, social work or social services team. If a child is in immediate danger, call 999.
If you would prefer to text rather than speak: Shout · Text SHOUT to 85258 · 24/7 · giveusashout.org.
If you or someone you are worried about needs someone to talk to: Samaritans · 116 123 · 24/7 · www.samaritans.org.

If you need help right now

Published by Kensington Square Therapy. Company No. 16707111. Written by therapists registered with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) and the National Counselling and Psychotherapy Society (NCPS). This page is not therapy, and not a substitute for professional support. The full library is at theparentbook.com.