LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — During Mental Health Awareness Month, mental health expert group Save the Children is providing insight for various approaches to assist parents and caregivers in educating children on how to navigate times of anxiety, hopelessness, and grief.
Compiled data on U.S. children and mental health points out substantial disparities in mental health support that children receive, depending on where they live.
According to a release, over 70% of the country’s designated mental health professional shortage areas are rural or partially rural.
Certain factors from natural disasters, school violence, local crime, and other unforeseen developments taking place in the world add on to stressors for children, regardless of their background.
Save the Children has provided tips on how children can begin to develop healthy habits in an effort to prepare for tumultuous times ahead.
Connect frequently with your child. Have regular check-ins during morning or evening routines, asking open-ended questions while doing activities together. Daily “pulse checks” with your child can also provide regular opportunities to reinforce all the good things they can look forward to tomorrow.Establish a safe space. Create a feeling of safety between you and your child, and in your home. They will feel safe talking with you when you have the tough conversations. Prepare your child for new situations. Talk through any small or big changes that are coming in their lives – their first day of kindergarten, an older sibling going to college or getting a shot at the doctors. This will let them know what to anticipate, which can help ease worry or anxiety. While doing this, it may also be helpful to include ways your child can make decisions and have some control.Validate your child’s feelings. Tell them it’s ok to feel and express their emotions. And by allowing them to identify and name their feelings, you can help them develop coping skills, while also normalizing the emotions in the context of the situation.Talk through the tough times. Be honest about the facts, use language and terms your child understands, acknowledge how hard/sad/frustrating what they’re going through must be, provide physical comfort and come up with solutions together.Take Time Out for Your Own Self-Care. When parents support their own needs, they’ll be better able to support the needs of their children. This includes maintaining a routine for yourself – including good eating, sleeping, and physical activity patterns – regularly “pulse checking” your own feelings and emotions, and talking to another trusted adult about how you are feeling.
According to research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 40% of students in America have persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness.
Additional data from 2022-2023 compiled by CDC show that 11% of children ages 3-17 are diagnosed with anxiety, and 4% of them are diagnosed with depression.
Save the Children’s work in the U.S. includes partnering with community organizations to target and address specific needs, as well as providing training to ensure staff provides psychosocial support to children and caregivers in locations affected by disaster.
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