11 Children’s Mental Health
Learning Objectives
By the end of this chapter, you should be able to:
- Discuss what mental health is and what that looks like during early childhood.
- Explain how mental health practices should begin during infancy.
- Describe mental health problems that young children may experience.
- Examine the impact of adverse childhood experiences, trauma, and stress on your children.
- Reflect on how to support young children’s resilience and social and emotional competence.
- Outline ways early care and education programs should be supporting young children’s mental health (including engaging families).
- Explain what trauma-informed care is.
Introduction
Mental health in childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones, and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in early care and education programs and school, and in their communities. [1]
Mental health is an important part of overall health and well-being. Mental health includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how people think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how people handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. [2]When early educators and families know more about early childhood mental health, they are better able to support children’s learning and development.[3]
Foundation for Mental Health
Beginning at birth, children need positive relationships with the adults who care for them. When children learn to recognize and share their feelings with trusted adults, they feel good about themselves. These relationships help them develop the confidence to learn new skills. Children thrive when adults support their strengths and needs. Responsive adults help children feel safe and valued and learn how to get along well with others.
Children who can manage their feelings can learn and play with peers. They are better able to plan, monitor and control their behaviour. They can also adjust to changes in schedules and routines. Children who get along with adults learn to work together and follow rules. They can also show concern for, and share, take turns and compromise with other children. [4]
Mental Health from the Beginning
Infant mental health practice applies knowledge of relationships to support and enhance healthy social and emotional development and to prevent and treat mental health disorders. The following definition of infant mental health was developed by a group of experts with the common understanding that observing young children’s interactions with parents and other significant people is key for the assessment of emotional well-being.
In addition, experts also suggest keeping in mind the infants’ underlying biology that could include temperament and compromises to resilience from earl