Child Mental Health

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Mental health concerns the prenatal period (conception to birth), childhood (birth to 9 years) and adolescence (10 to 19 years). The WHO used the following definition o child and adolescent mental health:

"Child and adolescent mental health is the capacity to achieve and maintain optimal psychological functioning and well being. It is directly related to the level reached and competence achieved in psychological and social functioning."[1]

Furthermore, child and adolescent mental health includes a sense of identity and self-worth; sound family and peer relationships; an ability to be productive and to learn; and a capacity to use developmental challenges and cultural resources to maximize development.

Good mental health in childhood is a prerequisite for optimal psychological development, productive social relationships, effective learning, an ability to care for self, good physical health and effective economic participation as an adult. Mental health of children can be promoted by reducing the impact of risk factors and by enhancing the effective of protective factors. Services to help children suffering from mental disorders can contribute to overcome many of them. Discrimination and stigmatisation should be reduced as much as possible because children and adolescents are less resiliente to negative remarks than adults.


Prevalence

An overall prevalence rate of about 20% has been documed prior to the 2005 WHO publication for child and adolescent mental disorders.

There are typical age ranges for selected disorders[2], numbers indicate age in years.

Disorder  1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13     14    15   16   17   18 
Attachment x x x














Pervasive developmental disorders x x x x x x











Disruptive behaviour

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
Mood/anxiety disorder




x x x x x x x x x x x x x
substance abuse










x x x x x x x
Adult type psychosis













x x x x

Ages of onset and termination have wide variations, and are significantly influenced by exposure to risk factors and difficult circumstances.

Risk and protective factors

A number of factors affect the mental health of a child or adolsecent. Some factors, the risk factors, increase the probability of occurrence of mental health problems while some factors moderate the effects of risk exposure. These factors can exist in the biological, psychological and social domains.Reproduced from WHO (2005).[3]

Domain Risk Factors       Protective factors
Biological
  • Exposure to toxins (e.g. tobacco  and alcohol) in pregnancy
  • Genetic tendency to psychiatric disorder
  • Head trauma
  • Hypoxia at birth and other birth
  • complications
  • HIV infection
  • Malnutrition
  • Other illnesses
  • Age-appropriate physical development
  • Good physical health
  • Good intellectual functioning
Psychological
  • Learning disorders
  • Maladaptive personality traits
  • Sexual, physical and emotiona abuse and neglect (Maltreatment)
  • Difficult temperament
  • Ability to learn from experiences
  • Good self-esteem
  • High level of problem-solving ability
  • Social skills


Social

     a) Family
  • Inconsistent care-giving
  • Family conflict
  • Poor family discipline
  • Poor family management
  • Death of a family member


  • Family attachment
  • Opportunities for positive involvement in family
  • Rewards for involvement in family
     b) School
  • Academic failure
  • Failure of schools to provide an appropriate environment to support attendance and learning
  • Inadequate/inappropriate provision of education
  • Opportunities for involvement in school life
  • Positive reinforcement from academic achievement
  • Identity with a school or need for education attainment
c) Community
  • Lack of community efficacy
  • Community disorganisation
  • Discriminationa and marginalisation
  • Exposure to violence
  • Lack of sense of "place"
  • Connectedness to community
  • Opportunities for constructive use of leisure
  • Positive cultural experiences
  • Positive role models
  • Rewards for community involvement
  • Connection with community organisations including religious organisations


See also

Mental health

Child Educational Well-being

Child Family and Peer Relationships

Child Subjective Well-being

Child Civic and Political Participation

Child Maltreatment

Child Behaviour and Risks

References

  1. ↑ WHO (2005), “Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policies and Plans”, Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package, p.7. Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/Childado_mh_module.pdf
  2. ↑ WHO (2005), “Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policies and Plans”, Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package, p.10. Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/Childado_mh_module.pdf
  3. ↑ WHO (2005), “Child and Adolescent Mental Health Policies and Plans”, Mental Health Policy and Service Guidance Package, p.12. Available at: http://www.who.int/mental_health/policy/Childado_mh_module.pdf

Paper and Publications

Income Shocks and Adolscent Mental Health, S. Baird, J. de Hoop, B. Özler, World Bank Research Paper, April. -> Malawi

External Links

News/Research on Child Psychology and Mental Health

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