Mental health and wellness is an important part of our overall health!
Creating a school environment and culture that promotes positive mental wellness can help students to learn better and build lifelong healthy habits.
Understanding how the brain develops and what can impact brain development is the first step along the journey towards mental wellness and resiliency.
Child Brain Development |
| In the first few years of life, children experience a period of intense brain development. At this stage, positive, nurturing interactions, and experiences with caregivers have the greatest impact on a child’s chance of building sturdy brain architecture.
While brains develop in a nurturing environment they weaken under stress. Experiencing a degree of some stress is important for healthy development. Adverse Childhood Experiences and prolonged stress can weaken the developing brain. Too much stress is sometimes referred to as toxic stress. Toxic Stress
ResilienceAccording to the American Psychological Association (2020), resilience is about adapting and bouncing back from adversity, trauma, tragedy, and other difficult experiences. It involves protective factors, such as skills and abilities of an individual or community, to effectively manage, and cope in circumstances of severe stress or hardship. We can help families build resilience by supporting environments rich in serve and return interactions and by preventing experiences that may cause toxic stress. While parents/caregivers and extended family are a key source of this support, other adults can also act as supportive caregivers to a child. “The single most common factor for children who develop resilience is at least one stable and committed relationship with a supportive parent, caregiver, or other adult.” Recommended Video: Brains: Journey to Resilience (7:44 minutes) |
Improving Outcomes for Children |
|
Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child developed three evidence-based design principles for policies and programs to improve outcomes for children and families: Support Responsive Relationships for Children and AdultsFor children, responsive relationships with their caregivers promotes their healthy brain development and protects them from toxic stress. In adults, strong social connections boost overall well-being and build confidence to get through life’s challenges. Serve and return relationships are essential for healthy brain development. Serve and return interactions are back-and-forth exchanges between a child and caregiver. These interactions are very important for healthy brain development. Please see the links below for five easy ways to learn how to play. Resources: Strengthen Core Skills for Planning, Adapting, and Achieving GoalsExecutive function and self-regulation skills assist individuals, across the life course, in successfully managing relationships, school, work, and life. Core skills improve a person’s ability to focus, reach goals, adapt to changing situations, and resist impulsive behaviours. Reduce Sources of Stress in the Lives of Children, Adults, and FamiliesCreate safe, supportive environments that provide life stability enabling adults to focus on strengthening their core skills and, where applicable, provide responsive caregiving. Caregivers understand the child’s needs and development. Whenever possible, early identification of developmental delays will improve long-term outcomes. |
Mental Health |
What to Look ForInfants and young children do not show signs they are struggling the same way you might see in an adult with depression or anxiety. Infants and children show they are not regulated through their emotions and physical movements. Some of these behaviours can be predictive of future mental health concerns as this child grows up. These children might have trouble “controlling their emotions” or be labeled as “difficult”. These early signs indicate that there needs to be more investigation or supports provided to the whole family. Early intervention and support is critical. Mental Health Supports
We provide support for educators in the classroom with apps, lending classroom resources and websites that are geared to support the Ontario curriculum: https://www.myhealthunit.ca/en/health-professionals-and-partners/school-and-classroom-supports.asp Mental health and wellness is an important part of our overall health! Creating a school environment and culture that promotes positive mental wellness can help students to learn better and build lifelong healthy habits. Understanding how the brain develops and what can impact brain development is the first step along the journey towards mental wellness and resiliency. |
Mental Health Supports |