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Review Article | DOI: https://doi.org/10.31579/2637-8892/084
Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Aleppo, Syria
*Corresponding Author: Mohammad Qasem Abdullah, Department of Counseling Psychology, University of Aleppo, Syria
Citation: Mohammad Qasem Abdullah (2020) Child Mental Health: Clinical and Developmental Review. 4(4). DOI: 10.31579/2637-8892/084
Copyright: © 2020 Mohammad Qasem Abdullah, This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium provided the original author and source are credited.
Received: 23 May 2020 | Accepted: 26 June 2020 | Published: 13 July 2020
Keywords: child; mental health; clinical; developmental approach
Mental health can be defined as the "Positive emotional, behavioral, and mental state that can be seen in higher level of personal and social adjustment in personality, signed in several attribute or aspects" According to the developmental period of children, it is important to relate the developmental tasks/ demands and psychosocial needs and demands of child's development to the aspect mental health. The study concludes that the good understanding, predicting and treating child's behavior and personality require to applicate multi-methodologies for investigating this complex behavioral phenomenon.
In response to the need for a coordinated approach to the delivery of mental health care in Canada, there have been significant advances within the adult mental health sector ( McLeod , Horwood, Fergusson, 2016). Despite the advances in adult mental health care in Canada, the children’s mental health care system has continued to lack a comprehensive and psychometrically sound tool for integrated use across a variety of service sectors (e.g., inpatient/outpatient mental health, hospitals, youth justice sites, schools, etc.), ( Veldman, Reijneveld, Ortiz, Verhulst, Bültmann ,2014).
Mental health — an essential part of children's overall health — has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel and act on the inside and outside (Kapphahn, Morreale,, Rickert, and Walker, 2006).
Worldwide 10-20% of children and adolescents experience mental disorders. Half of all mental disorders begin by the age 14 and before. Neuropsychiaic conditions are the leading cause of disabilities in young people in all region. If untreated, these conditions severely influence child's development, their educational attainment and their potential to live fulfilling and productive lives.
Children with mental disorders face major challenges with stigma, isolation and discrimination, as well as lack of access to health care and education facilities, in violation of their fundamental human rights (WHO,2019).
An estimated 15 million of our nation's young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Many more are at risk of developing a disorder due to risk factors in their biology or genetics; within their families, schools, and communities; and among their peers. There is a great need for mental health professionals to provide the best available care based on scientific evidence, good clinical expertise, and that takes into account the unique characteristics of the child or adolescent. However, it is estimated that only about 7 percent of these youth who need services receive appropriate help from mental health professionals (Dept of Health and Human Services,2001).
An estimated 15 million of our nation's young people can currently be diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Many more are at risk of developing a disorder due to risk factors in their biology or genetics; within their families, schools, and communities; and among their peers, (Ganz, and Tendulkar, 2006)
Child development involves the biological, psychological and emotional changes that occur in human beings between birth and the conclusion of adolescence. In the course of development, the individual human progresses from dependency to increasing autonomy. It is a continuous process with a predictable sequence, yet has a unique course for every child. It does not progress at the same rate and each stage is affected by the preceding developmental experiences.
Because genetic factors and events during prenatal life may strongly influence developmental changes, genetics and prenatal development usually form a part of the study of child development. Related terms include developmental psychology, referring to development throughout the lifespan, and pediatrics, the branch of medicine relating to the care of children.
This study investigates the child mental health from multi-dimensional perspective for approaching the proposes of psychological science: understanding, predicting and treating behavior.
The significance of studding child mental health
It's estimated that around one in seven Australian kids experience mental health issues and about half of all serious mental health issues in adulthood begin before the age of 14. Mental health — an essential part of children's overall health — has a complex interactive relationship with their physical health and their ability to succeed in school, at work and in society. Both physical and mental health affect how we think, feel and act on the inside and outside(Kapphahn, Morreale,, Rickert, and Walker, 2006).
For instance, an overweight young boy who is teased about his weight may withdraw socially and become depressed and may be reluctant to play with others or exercise, which further contributes to his poorer physical health and as a result poorer mental health. These issues have long-term implications on the ability of children and youth to fulfill their potential as well as consequences for the health, education, labor and criminal justice systems of our society (McLeod , Horwood, Fergusson, 2016).
All children and youth have the right to happy and healthy lives and deserve access to effective care to prevent or treat any mental health problems that they may develop. However, there is a tremendous amount of unmet need, and health disparities are particularly pronounced for children and youth living in low-income communities, ethnic minority youth or those with special needs (Ganz, and Tendulkar, 2006, Abdullah, 2018).
It's important to recognize and treat mental illnesses in children early on. Once mental illness develops, it becomes a regular part of child's behavior. This makes it more difficult to treat.
But it's not always easy to know when your child has a serious problem. Everyday stresses can cause changes in the child's behavior. For example, getting a new brother or sister or going to a new school may cause a child to temporarily act out. On the other hand, there are many demands and needs regarding every developmental stage of childhood, that should be taken place in assessing personality and behavior. Acceding to these description, it is very significant to pay attention to the personality and developmental aspects such as emotional, mental, social characteristics of the development. Warning signs that it might be a more serious problem include
To diagnose mental health problems, the clinician looks at your child's signs and symptoms, medical history, and family history. Treatments include medicines and talk psychotherapy( Abdullah,2019) .
What is the mental health?
Word Health Organization has been defined the term of "health" as:
The state of somatic, mental, and social well-being and not just the absence of disease.
According to this definition we can see tow criteria (Abdullah, 2017):
first, Health include three aspects of the development of personality: somatic/bodily, social, psychological/mental components.
Second, the health is not just absence of disorder. Regarding this statement, it is very significant to describe health as relative state in general, and psychological health in particular (Dept of Health and Human Services, 2001).
Psychologists and clinicians have been acknowledged the following criteria and aspects of the mental health:
Some researchers indicated that the following attributes have been found to be important for good mental health ( Kapphahn, Morreale, Rickert,and Walker,2006)
1) Positive emotions: overall, how happy do I feel?
2) Engagement: taking an interest in your work and activities.
3) Relationships: having people in your life that you care for and who cares about you.
4) Meaning and purpose: feeling that what you do in life is valuable and worthwhile.
5) Accomplishment: feeling that what you do gives you a sense of accomplishment and makes you feel competent.
6) Emotional stability: feeling calm and peaceful.
7) Optimism: feeling positive about your life and your future.
8) Resilience: being able to bounce back in the face of adversity.
9) Self-esteem: feeling positive about oneself.
10) Vitality: feeling energetic,(McLeod , Horwood, Fergusson, 2016).Abdullah,2016, APA,2013) .
The following indexes represent the behavioral aspects of positive mental health:
Children mental health
Childhood stage is the significant period of development that constitutes the future personality characteristics, and the psychological-social-somatic needs and demands satisfaction play an important role for normal development and healthy personality. From this view point, clinical perspective of the period demands has taken place for investigating the child mental health, E.g. what is emotional or behavioral problem in one period cannot be so in another one. Enuresis is emotional and behavioral problem after third year of life but cannot term psychopathology during the period born-3 year. The second criteria are the severity of the abnormal behavior on one hand and its frequency of the other hand (Abdullah,2016).
Child mental health, the complete well-being and optimal development of a child in the emotional, behavioral, social, and cognitive domains. Children’s mental health is often defined as different from adult mental health and more multifaceted because of the unique developmental milestones that children experience. Characteristics of the child (e.g., gender, genetics) are important determinants of that child’s well-being. However, child mental health also includes those conditions that directly affect or modify mental health, including aspects of a child’s family, community, and broader society.
The mental health problems children may experience may be reflected as difficulties in psychological and emotional development, social relationships, and behavior. When problems are persistent, are severe, and cause impaired functioning, they are defined as mental health disorders. Well-designed mental health promotion and prevention programs and interventions can enhance the well-being of children and mitigate the escalation of problems (Luton Safeguarding Children's Board , 2015) .
Developmental consecrations for positive mental health:
The early years of a child’s life are very important for his or her health and development. Healthy development means that children of all abilities, including those with special health care needs, are able to grow up where their social, emotional and educational needs are met. Having a safe and loving home and spending time with family―playing, singing, reading, and talking―are very important. Proper nutrition, exercise, and sleep also can make a big difference (NCBDD, 2020).
Psychologists working with children and youth are also trained to take into account developmental considerations on: Identity, Emotional, Social, Cognitive and Biological bases (McLeod , Horwood, Fergusson, 2016).
We can promote children and youth self-esteem, so that they feel good about themselves:
Listen, and respect their feelings:
Create a safe, positive home environment:
In difficult situations, we can help children and youth solve problems:
Protective and risk factors:
The impact of risk factors often leads to poor mental health outcomes in children. The presence of multiple risk factors increases a child’s vulnerability to experiencing a problem. Risks may stem from premature birth and low birth weight, poor physical health, ethnicity, peer and family relationships, parental mental health status (especially the mother’s), parental abuse of alcohol or drugs, and family violence.
Many experts cite socioeconomic status (i.e., parental education or income) as a strong predictor of psychological well-being.
In addition, particularly vulnerable groups of children are those who have been physically or sexually abused, those in foster care, and child refugees. Another vulnerable group of children comprises those with learning disabilities.
Children with a learning difficulty (e.g., problems in learning and understanding compared with children of the same age) are at increased risk of developing a mental health problem ( Galler Harrison, Ramsey, Forde, Butler, Harrison, Ramsey, Forde, Butler 2000).
A child’s well-being is influenced by a variety of protective and risk factors. Fostering psychological and emotional fitness is an important part of mental health. Children with stable mental health are able to develop emotionally and cognitively, form effective social relationships with others, and cope with problems. Protective factors are child and environmental characteristics that enhance positive mental health outcomes by protecting children and reducing the negative effects created by risk factors. Protective factors can be characterized as child, family, and community strengths that contribute to resilience (McLeod, Horwood, Fergusson, 2016). Child strengths can include healthy physical status, intelligence, and a relaxed temperament. Family strengths are those characteristic of a cohesive and supportive family (e.g., nurturing parenting style, supervision, socioeconomic advantage). Community strengths can encompass safe schools and participation in recreational activities( Veldman, Reijneveld, Ortiz, Verhulst Bültmann ,2014, ).
Conclusion:
Health is the state of efficiency, and Physical, mental, and social well-being, and not just the absence of disease. Although the absence of mental disease has been linked to the psychological health, (negative definition), current researches suggest several attributes and criteria (indexes) that should be measured objectively and subjectively (positive definition). The developmental, clinical and social view of child mental health is very significant for good understanding child personality and behavior. We encourage psychologist and clinicians to use multi-methodologies for predicting assessing and treating child behavior, in particular, longitudinal, cross-sectional and cause-effect methodologies for understanding the conditions that constituting normal and abnormal behavior of children.
Clearly Auctoresonline and particularly Psychology and Mental Health Care Journal is dedicated to improving health care services for individuals and populations. The editorial boards' ability to efficiently recognize and share the global importance of health literacy with a variety of stakeholders. Auctoresonline publishing platform can be used to facilitate of optimal client-based services and should be added to health care professionals' repertoire of evidence-based health care resources.
