Mental Health

I heard an interesting and at the same time, startling statistic - this year 1 out of 5 people has had/has mental health issues. This is just one of those statistics thrown out there without details however the current social and economic climate would appear to lead to stressful times. I want to know more; what is the definition of a healthy mental state and does this statistic include children and how young? Like autism, is there a spectrum?
Then I heard that there are 15 million children with mental health issues. First I was shocked then I started thinking about the enormity of this. This is children- not young adults. This is the future! Although I want details my concerns for today’s children are very real. Many children are dealing with life changing issues such as loss or change of home or school or both, loss of friends, stressed adults, and other issues they do not understand. Children often don’t have the words to express how they are feeling and often internalize their emotions. Children take on the burden of cause or guilt even though in most cases the situation was not their doing. A child will try to please or make a change although he/she doesn’t understand.
I have always been aware of mental health for all ages and the seeming lack of preventative as well as supportive and healing care. As early as 20 years ago, I remember having a discussion with my father-in-law concerning children and depression. He was a family doctor who was doing his continuing education. Childhood depression was one of his workshops at one of the outstanding teaching hospitals in the state. I had already begun to see depression as well as other mental health concerns in varying degrees in the classroom. At that time, professionals and society were just coming into the position of awareness of children dealing with mental health challenges. I remember discussing how to identify and help a child with mental health issues. At that time many medical professionals were treating adults with issues and not looking at mental health as an illness concern for children. These same adults were beginning to notice that often mental health concerns begin in the early/younger years. The realization that perhaps early identification and intervention would reduce the severity and/or length of difficulties came to consciousness. I think for both of us as well as for many other professionals involved with children we saw the early intervention need. All of society needs to remember that children are not small adults but are developing and growing and learning and need perhaps different interventions and support. The earlier detection and intervention means in most cases an easier, long term healing- in many cases wellness for a life time.
Since that first conscious conversation and thoughts, I’ve noticed, mental health care services have closed and economic supports have dwindled because of political and economic choices in various states. In education the trend of having counselors in the elementary schools has been eliminated. At the same time inclusion of all students in the classroom has been initiated. Many children with physical, social, emotional issues should be included in a general education classroom; however it should include extra support for the child’s specific needs. Demands and expectations of noneducators is that these children with special needs should have no problem keeping on the same pace as their peers. Along with the increase of students per class room, there is not the specific support of the child with needs because identification is often delayed. The support, information, and perhaps training for the general education teacher and the parents to increase understanding of how best to help the child who is dealing with mental health issues is not then available.
There are many people looking for help and not finding it. Those suffering and their families need help finding the kind of care needed to begin living a productive life with coping skills to meet life’s daily challenges, disappointments, anger issues, stresses, problems, and “hiccups”.
Just thinking out loud as a taxpayer and educator; I wonder if we work on mental health while the issues are small or to maintain wellness how much less expensive it would be for all families, health companies, and the taxpayers than waiting until someone is having a major issue. Perhaps proactive work for healthy situations and preventative measures can be initiated. Mental health needs to be part of the wellness health care awareness that is growing. Could we avoid expensive treatment by being proactive as a society? I’m thinking this could save time and big money for the judicial, educational, and political as well as the medical systems. Currently, we seem to be playing catch up with mental health around the country.