Mental hygiene coping skills key to better health
Multiple traumatic childhood events can leave lasting scars and shorten lifespans
From the time of their first pediatric appointment, the importance of oral hygiene is emphasized. Children learn how to brush their teeth. They learn how to use dental floss. If they are lucky, they are taken to the dentist for regular checkups. For less privileged children being raised in lessthan-ideal situations, there are several programs that address oral health care. As a society, we have chosen to prioritize oral hygiene. It’s time to prioritize a child’s mental health with similar effort and resources. For years, concerns about children’s mental health have been raised. Why then does the country still face mental health challenges in children?
A 1998 study identified childhood traumatic events — Adverse Childhood Experiences, or ACES — as a probable cause of progressively worse mental and physical health over time. The investigators concluded that four or more ACES are associated with a higher likelihood of dying younger and suffering from such mental health challenges as depression and suicidal ideation.
Mental health issues are challenging for children because they lead to such issues as an inability to form healthy friendships, social isolation and emotional outbursts. Just as we teach our children reading and math skills, foundational tools for academic growth, we must also teach them social and emotional learning skills. Social and emotional learning is integral for children to develop a strong sense of self, for learning to manage emotions, to build healthy, empathetic relationships, and to learn to make caring and responsible choices.
Mental hygiene includes educating children about emotional regulation. Recently, school districts across the nation have implemented a curriculum that encourages emotional regulation and social-emotional learning. This comes after several schools reported employing these practices and seeing a decrease in the number of emotional outbursts, along with an improvement in self-regulation.
Teaching a child how to reflect on and regulate their emotional response helps them deal more positively with negative experiences and may prevent internalization of experiences that have negative consequences later in life. Learning to regulate emotions better as a child helps lead to better mental health as an adult. Finding ways for victims of complex trauma to access treatment before their health deteriorates provides a chance of favorable health outcomes.
An important finding made in the original research about ACES showed that a key factor in helping children overcome trauma was the involvement of an adult who acted as a mentor. Personnel within the school system can assume this role and help implement mental hygiene practices. These are the people who encounter children every day; they must understand the importance of trauma-informed care and how ACES play a role in a child’s mental development. All teachers, counselors, school health care professionals and other school-based support personnel must be provided the skills they need to nurture resiliency in children.
Early physical and behavioral health interventions allow young people who suffer from complex trauma to live longer, more productive lives. This is an issue that requires attention to better ensure social justice and health equity.