Is Children’s Mental Health Important?
Mental health — an essential part of children’s overall health — has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel and act on the inside and outside.
For instance, an overweight young boy who is teased about his weight may withdraw socially and become depressed and may be reluctant to play with others or exercise, which further contributes to his poorer physical health and as a result poorer mental health. These issues have long-term implications on the ability of children and youth to fulfill their potential as well as consequences for the health, education, labor, and criminal justice systems of our society.
For instance, a boy named Bobby is being physically abused by his father and often acts out aggressively at school. His behavior is a natural reaction to the abuse, but his behavior may also mark the beginning of undiagnosed conduct disorder. His teachers simply see him as a troublemaker and continually punish his behavior. Later, Bobby drops out of school as a teenager because he finds it a harsh and unwelcoming environment and is anxious to leave his abusive home and fend for himself. However, holding down a job is difficult because Bobby often clashes with his coworkers and supervisors due to his aggression. Bobby has also begun to self-medicate by abusing alcohol and has been arrested a number of times for drunken disorderliness. By the time Bobby finally receives a proper diagnosis of his conduct disorder and substance abuse, he is in his thirties and his mental health problems have become deeply entrenched. They will require extensive therapy, which Bobby probably cannot afford without a job that provides adequate health insurance. Things could have been very different if Bobby was referred to a psychologist in his childhood who could have diagnosed him, offered effective treatment, and alerted the authorities about the abuse.
All children and youth have the right to happy and healthy lives and deserve access to effective care to prevent or treat any mental health problems that they may develop. However, there is a tremendous amount of unmet need, and health disparities are particularly pronounced for children and youth living in low -income communities, ethnic minority youth or those with special needs.
How Many Children Have Mental Health Disorders?
An estimated 15 million of our nation’s young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Many more are at risk of developing a disorder due to risk factors in their biology or genetics; within their families, schools, and communities; and among their peers. There is a great need for mental health professionals to provide the best available care based on scientific evidence, good clinical expertise, and that takes into account the unique characteristics of the child or adolescent. However, it is estimated that only about 7 percent of these youth who need services receive appropriate help from mental health professionals.
What Does Psychology Have to Offer?
Research in psychology has contributed to the development of more effective treatment and prevention of mental health disorders in children, youth, and families, including programs targeting expectant mothers, children in school settings, and youth transitioning into adulthood and programs working at the following levels:
- Individual — e.g., therapy or counseling for those with mental health disorders
- Peer — e.g., peer-assisted learning programs aimed at improving reading, math, and science
- Family — e.g., parent education on the needs of children at each stage of development
- School — e.g., strategies for teachers for effective classroom management
- Community – e.g., violence prevention programs administered through community/recreational centers or churches
- Systemic — e.g., coordination of services in the health, juvenile justice, education, and child protection systems.
Psychologists working with children and youth are also trained to take into account developmental considerations on:
- Identity, Emotional, Social, Cognitive and Biological bases.
- Culture, ethnicity and language also mediates the behavior of children and adolescents in numerous ways and as a result affects the methods of prevention and treatment of mental health disorders.
Psychologists have developed tools to assess the risk and protective factors for the mental health of children and youth, to test them for behavioral or emotional problems, and to continually monitor treatment progress. Psychologists have also designed programs that effectively engage families, schools and communities, that is, the critical social supports that can guarantee lasting well-being for children and youth. For example, one successful family -centered program aimed at decreasing alcohol use in preteens engages parents and caregivers by training them on parenting skills such as setting limits, expressing clear expectations about substance abuse, communication and discipline while also simultaneously training youth on resistance skills and how to develop negative attitudes toward alcohol.
The impact of child mental health on child development and society as a whole is well documented but under recognized. The public has limited awareness of how mental health affects child development and societal well being in general, how important mental health needs can and should be met, and the scientific basis for promoting mental health and preventing and treating disorders.
The Importance of Mental Health for Normal Child Development
Providing support for children’s optimal social and emotional development results in positive outcomes for individuals and society, including healthier behavior, greater school success, improved relationships, and economic savings. Available, responsive, stable caregivers are critical for children’s optimal mental health, and these relationships influence brain development from birth. These caregivers need to receive support.
Families, parents, caregivers, teachers, and others who care for and work with children need to be better informed about milestones of normal, healthy child development to both reassure caregivers when development proceeds within typical limits and to identify early warning signs that indicate when assistance is necessary.
Children and families can be prepared for stress points and transitions. They can learn the skills to be resilient in periods of stress and challenge, thus protecting and promoting mental health.
Skills and competencies that improve developmental outcomes can be taught to children, parents, and caregivers. Predictable routines at home, in child care settings, and at school are essential for child mental health.Outcome disparities based on race/ethnicity, urban versus rural environments, and socioeconomic status must be addressed. Those most in need or at highest risk are least likely to have access to the highest quality interventions.
Everyday Challenges for Parents
Families can be strengthened and parents can increase their skills through interventions designed to promote children’s mental health.
Decreasing poverty will increase resources to promote children’s mental health. One-stop facilities that provide integrated health care and human services enable parents to meet their children’s needs, which include safety, education, health, and happiness.
Fragmentation of services prevents or inhibits parents from meeting their children’s needs. Enriching community- and family-based social supports and reducing social isolation and marginalization enables families, schools, and community agencies to improve child mental health and produce healthy, socialized, and responsible citizens. For families that have children with a diagnosed mental illness, coordinated systems of care can effectively decrease the severity of children’s mental health symptoms. Positive and effective communication, active listening, welcoming engagement, and trusting partnerships between families and schools are essential to promote children’s mental health in the community.
Prevention Opportunities in Child Mental Health
Prevention strategies can address multiple risk factors and have been shown to reduce mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders in childhood and lead to healthy developmental outcomes.Healthy prenatal choices, e.g., refraining from smoking, alcohol, or drug use, and avoiding unintentional toxic exposure, protect the developing brain and are critical for child mental health.
Organized community-wide assessment, planning, and action using evidence -based approaches can reduce the prevalence of childhood
mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. A consistent prevention message across diverse settings, e.g. health care, child care, youth-serving organizations, achieves results that are more powerful.
Promoting social and emotional learning in school programs leads to success in school and life and prevents mental health problems. Early physical and emotional abuse is toxic to children and can be prevented. Child care should be affordable, of consistently high quality, and valued.
Effective Treatment for Childhood Mental Health Problems
Children can and do develop problematic mental conditions, both chronic and transitory. Both diagnosis and treatment should be developmentally appropriate and culturally responsive. The field needs, and families deserve, measurable outcomes based on treatment goals collaboratively defined by families and providers.
Evidence-based practice exists for many but not all conditions, and these treatments can help children reach their potential and reduce misery among families. These treatments help children succeed at home and in school, help them stay out of trouble, and also improve relationships that affect the child. Similar to the obstacles they encounter in the health care system, children and families face many barriers to receiving evidence-based treatments for children’s mental disorders. These barriers include a lack of trained providers, lack of core public financing, limited private insurance coverage, and stigma.
More research is needed to develop effective, developmentally appropriate, and culturally responsive treatments and to bring them from the development stage to actual delivery. Research can guide the tailoring of interventions to the particular needs of children and families.
Source references -(From American Psychological Association)