Our Children’s Mental Health Is Everyone’s Business

Since May is Mental Health Awareness Month, we are shining a light on children's mental health, a topic that is critical to their overall growth and development. In this blog post, we are excited to present the insights of Denise Goins-Stockton. She is an advocate for children’s mental health. Her academic credentials in sociology and research, along with her personal experiences in the children’s mental health arena, make her a particularly credible voice for this issue. She also is a longtime supporter of the Headley Carter Cares Foundation. Join us as we explore the current landscape of children's mental health and discuss the diversity of challenges our youth could face.

Our Children’s Mental Health Is Everyone’s Business

Denise Goins-Stockton

Mental health is an essential part of our overall health and includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood. 1

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), mental illnesses are among the most common health conditions in the United States. Consider these statistics reported by CDC and MentalHealth.gov 2 3:

More than 50% of people in this country will be diagnosed with a mental illness or disorder at some point in their lifetime.
1 in 5 Americans will experience a mental illness in a given year.
1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression
1 in 5 children, either currently or at some point during their life, have had a seriously debilitating mental illness.
One in 6 young people experienced a major depressive episode.
Suicide was the second leading cause of death for people ages 10-24.

While there is no single cause for mental illness, these are some risk factors 4:

Early adverse life experiences, such as trauma or a history of abuse (for example, child abuse, sexual assault, witnessing violence, etc.)
Experiences related to other ongoing (chronic) medical conditions, such as cancer or diabetes
Biological factors or chemical imbalances in the brain
Use of alcohol or drugs
Having feelings of loneliness or isolation

In 2021, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Children’s Hospital Association declared a national emergency in children's mental health:

“As health professionals dedicated to the care of children and adolescents, we have witnessed soaring rates of mental health challenges among children, adolescents, and their families over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the situation that existed prior to the pandemic. Children and families across our country have experienced enormous adversity and disruption. The inequities that result from structural racism have contributed to disproportionate impacts on children from communities of color.” 5

The same year, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory on the urgent need to address the mental health crisis in children and teens. 6 He warned that mental health challenges were leading to “devastating effects” among young people. The suicide rate for young Americans ages 10 to 19 jumped by 40% from 2001 to 2019, while emergency room visits for self-harm rose by 88%. Several factors contributed to the crisis, including loneliness and isolation, bullying, and a non-stop information environment that often stokes fear and anxiety. Dr. Murthy explained that young people, particularly in early adolescence, are at a sensitive phase of development. Their brains are developing, their relationships with others are developing, and their identity and self-esteem are also developing. Exposure to harmful social media content and immersion in a culture in which they are constantly comparing themselves to other peoples’ profiles and posts often leads them to feel worse about themselves.

Thankfully, for most youth, mental health distress is episodic, not permanent, and most can successfully navigate the challenges that come from experiencing a mental health disorder with treatment, peer and professional supports and services, and a strong family and social support network. 7

In a subsequent mental health advisory, Dr. Murthy discussed how the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the extent and severity of the mental health crisis on minorities and marginalized young people. 8 During the pandemic, Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black households with children experienced hardships at twice the rate of non-Hispanic Asian and non-Hispanic White households with children. 9 Young people who are marginalized can experience high levels of stress, which can negatively affect children’s brain development contribute to post-traumatic stress disorder. These factors can hinder healthy child development and may have a lasting impact on the mental health and overall well-being of marginalized young people. 10 11

Dr. Kelly Vaillancourt Strobach, Director of Policy and Advocacy at the National Association of School Psychologists, promotes the development of community partnerships to help K-12 schools provide mental health support for students. 12 The lack of mental health providers nationwide often results in long wait periods to see a private practitioner, often up to six months. While 70% of children in the U.S. who seek mental health support receive it at school, schools struggle to meet the growing need with existing school staff. The American School Counselor Association recommends a ratio of 250 students for each counselor, but the nationwide average was 415 students per counselor in 2021. The numbers are even worse for school psychologists. While the National Association of School Psychologists recommends 1 psychologist for every 500 students, in some states the ratio is as high as 1 to 5,000.

The National Association of School Psychologists advocates school-community partnerships, in which hospitals, universities or community organizations work with school districts to bolster the mental health services they provide to students. The programs bring psychologists or social workers into schools where they may work directly with the psychologists, social workers, school counselors, and teachers. 13

Of course, parents also have a crucial role in securing mental health services for their children. They are normally the first to recognize the onset of mental health issues. It is important to obtain treatment as early as possible when they can be treated more easily. Following are resources to assist parents in obtaining help for their children as well as themselves:

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Knowing When to Seek Treatment for Your Child
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/conditions/health-library/knowing-when-to-seek-treatment-for-your-child

Self-Care for Parents of Children with Mental Health Needs
https://www.nationwidechildrens.org/family-resources-education/700childrens/2017/05/self-care-for-parents-of-children-with-mental-health-needs

Child Mind Institute

Preventing Parent Burnout: Meeting the Emotional Challenges of Caring for Children with Mental Health Issues
https://childmind.org/article/preventing-parent-burnout/