Mental health is health, and it deserves our full attention. It’s no surprise that the latest advisory from the US Surgeon General is making waves. Last week, Dr. Vivek Murthy highlighted the pressing need to confront the youth mental health emergency in our nation. Honestly, it’s astonishing that it took this long for such a critical issue to gain national acknowledgment.
The COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath have profoundly disrupted lives. While we can’t rewind the clock and alter the past, we can comprehend the factors that affect children’s mental well-being and how we, as parents, can foster their emotional health.
What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and How Do They Affect Our Kids?
Have you come across the term ACE? It stands for adverse childhood experiences, a concept introduced by pediatric health experts. The pandemic qualifies as one of these experiences. Pediatrician Emma Clark explains to Scientific American: “Adverse experiences trigger the brain’s fight-or-flight response, a natural reaction to immediate threats.” Yet, with the pandemic stretching nearly two years, what does this prolonged exposure mean? “Continued exposure to stressful situations prolongs their stress response and can lead to long-term damage,” adds Clark.
Even prior to the pandemic, our children needed significantly more support for their mental health. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, mental health challenges are the primary cause of disability and negative life outcomes among young people. Up to 1 in 5 children aged 3 to 17 in the U.S. face mental, emotional, developmental, or behavioral disorders.
Yes, children are resilient, but they are still vulnerable. Just as COVID affected adults’ mental health, it has similarly impacted children. However, the key difference lies in our experiences as adults. While we don’t have all the answers, we have years of coping mechanisms for dealing with loss and understanding grief. Many children have faced the loss of a grandparent, parent, or caregiver in the past 20 months, in addition to losing their normal routines, such as attending school or engaging in activities that foster social and emotional growth.
How Can We Support Our Children?
The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Protecting Youth Mental Health offers actionable steps to begin addressing this crisis:
- Recognize that mental health is integral to overall health. Are you weary of hearing this? If your child suffered a physical injury, you wouldn’t dismiss it. Extend the same compassion to their invisible struggles.
- Encourage children to identify, manage, and learn from tough emotions. Watching your child in pain is heartbreaking, but it’s vital to empower them to recognize that some feelings can seem insurmountable. By validating their emotions, you help them learn to cope.
- Acknowledge the economic and social barriers affecting mental health. It can be uncomfortable to discuss, but it’s true that those with financial stability have more resources and time to devote to their children’s mental health. This concept aligns with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, where basic physiological needs come first. For instance, if a family is struggling with food insecurity, addressing their child’s mental health may not be their top priority.
Instead of urging someone to toughen up, be empathetic toward those facing different challenges than you. Ultimately, we are all navigating life’s hurdles while striving to support our children in the process.
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Possible Search Queries:
- How to support children’s mental health during COVID
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- Resources for parenting during a crisis
In summary, the mental health crisis among children is urgent and requires our immediate attention. By recognizing the importance of mental health, empowering our children to navigate their emotions, and acknowledging the barriers that exist, we can make a significant difference in their lives.