How Are the Children
Dr. Sharon Adams, D. Min., M.S., LCMHC
Recently I met with some parents and grandparents of school-aged children to talk about some of their concerns. We began by naming many of the stressors families are dealing with now. We listed finances, safety (school, home and online) social climate, health, parent separation/divorce, death of close family member gun violence, major illness, parent's incarceration, socialization skills of children, loneliness, body image and social media, changing family size/family growth, intergenerational divides, world perspective, moral/spiritual values being handed down or not, technology, grandparents raising grandchildren, childcare, death by suicide. This list could go on and on. Today’s children and youth are encountering unprecedented challenges and stressors.
The Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) documents the high prevalence of mental health disorders among America’s children even before the pandemic. Among these are intrafamilial adverse childhood experiences and social determinants of health (SDoH), which are known risk factors for poor outcomes. Adverse childhood experiences and SDoH, including housing instability, food insecurity, poverty, community violence, and discrimination, can have a cumulative erosive impact via prolonged activation of neurohormonal stress responses, resulting in poor health, behavioral health, and social outcomes. Furthermore, adversity leads both to mental health conditions and chronic physical conditions, with high rates of these co-existing. Enhanced surveillance that includes information about these adversities as well as positive childhood experiences that protect children, such as access to quality education, safe neighborhoods, and positive parent-child relationships will help upstream prevention.
The question arises then, how can we help our children cope with the many stressors intheir lives? We can help by setting limits on screen time and or use of technology andencouraging other health activities. We should try to gauge whether or not our child hassymptoms of mental health conditions that may need professional assessment andcare. When parents/adults speak affirmatively about the benefits of mental healthservices it removes the stigma and normalizes mental health care.Model good self-carehabits, conflict management, and positive/healthy peer relationships. Help our childrendevelop and navigate affirming peer relationships. We must create stable homeenvironments that include open talks about drugs and alcohol and any other subjectsthat children face today. Protect your child by preventing access to firearms, prescriptiondrugs or other potential methods of self-harm.
