Section 8: Supporting children’s mental health Children’s top three answers differed slightly between demographic groups: Top three things that help children stay happy and hopeful across different groups: The top three people or things identified by parents/guardians and grandparents answering the survey on behalf of their child were consistent with those in children’s responses, although in slightly different order: 1. Support of my parents and family 2. Using technology for things like games and social media Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander children (n=179): Children with a disability (n=256): 1. Support of my parents and family 2. Spending time with pets 2. Using technology for things like games and social media 3. Listening to or playing music 3. Listening to or playing music Children who identified as non-binary or other (n=111): Children living in country towns (n=660): 1. Listening to or playing music 1. Support of my parents and family 2. Using technology for things like games and social media 2. Contact with friends 1. Support of my parents and family 3. Spending time with pets 3. Contact with friends Children living in rural and remote areas (n=198): Children from culturally or ethnically diverse backgrounds (n=553): 1. Support of my parents and family 1. Contact with friends 2. Contact with friends 2. Support of my family and friends 3. Using technology for things like games and social media 3. Using technology for things like games and social media 3. Contact with friends Responses to open-ended questions throughout the survey also provided insights into what helped children stay happy and hopeful, in addition to those listed above. When children were asked in an open-ended question, ‘what they needed for support during the pandemic’, a strong theme in their responses was that children felt a need for connection with others. Many children said that they wanted to be listened to and understood. They expressed the need to have someone trustworthy to talk to about their worries and reassure them during the uncertain times. This included having trusted sources of information about the pandemic. A similar theme was that many children said they needed to feel loved and cared for. This included needing more support from adults during the pandemic, who could offer them ‘encouragement’, ‘positive feedback’ and ‘reassurance’: Children living in capital cities or large regional cities (n=2317): 1. Support of my parents and family 2. Contact with friends 3. Using technology for things like games and social media 92 | ‘Mental health shapes my life’: COVID-19 & kids’ wellbeing • 2022 | 93