[Technology Saw] – A New Study Discovers the Best Way to Prevent Mental Health Disorders in Adulthood.
Highlights:
- Strong childhood bonds with parents and adults are vital for better adult mental health.
- Childhood trauma can deeply impact mental well-being.
- This study aims to understand factors supporting those facing adversity.
- Contrary to expectations, religious upbringing may increase stress for children from difficult backgrounds, showing a complex link to mental health.
- Further research is needed to fully grasp the factors influencing resilience in children facing adversity.
- How to guide kids to perfect mental health.
A recent study found that being close to parents and other adults when we are young could really help our mental health as we grow up.
But here’s something interesting: if you come from a religious family and you have had a tough childhood, it might actually make things more stressful for you.
When we talk about tough experiences in childhood, we mean things like abuse, neglect or seeing violence at home. These things don’t just stay in the past. They can affect how we feel and how healthy we are later on.
This study looked at over 2,000 kids of Puerto Rican background as they grew up. Some were from New York and some were from Puerto Rico.
They wanted to see what things could help kids who faced a lot of tough times. This is especially true for kids who don’t always get as much support.
“We wanted to figure out what could make things better for kids going through a lot,” explained Cristiane Duarte and Sara VanBronkhorst, who led the study at Columbia University.
“We’ve known for a while that tough times in childhood can lead to mental health problems later. But we didn’t know as much about things that could protect kids from these problems. We wanted to learn about these things so we could find ways to help.”
The study looked at how close kids felt to adults, like parents or other family members. It also checked how much kids felt part of their family’s beliefs and values, especially when it came to religion.
They also asked the kids about how they felt as they got older, like if they felt anxious or depressed.
What they found was pretty clear.
Having good relationships with adults when you’re a kid can really help you feel less stressed and less likely to feel down or worried when you are older. This was true even if you had a lot of tough times when you were young.
But there was a surprise too. They thought that being part of a religious family might help kids feel better, but it didn’t seem to work that way for everyone.
For kids who went through a lot when they were young, being in a religious family actually seemed to make them feel more stressed.
“We didn’t expect that being in a religious family might make things tougher for kids who had a rough start,” said the researchers.
“We’re not exactly sure why this happened, but maybe kids in religious families feel more guilty or ashamed about what they went through.”
While this study gives us some important ideas, it also reminds us that there’s still a lot we don’t know.
The way they looked at things might have affected what they found. Also, there could be other things they didn’t check that could be important too.
Therefore, understanding how different families and cultures help kids deal with tough times can help us find better ways to support them.
And this study shows that even things we thought were helpful, like being part of a religious family, might not always work the way we think they do. It’s something we need to look into more.
Kids’ mental health
A kid’s mental health is super important for how they grow up and what their future looks like.
It’s not just about feeling happy or sad—it’s about how they handle their emotions, how they think about things and how they get along with others.
Basically, kids’ mental health is all about understanding and helping with their feelings. This makes sure they can bounce back from tough times and deal with any problems they might have.
It’s about creating a safe and loving space where kids can be themselves. Also, ask for help when they need it and learn healthy ways to deal with life’s ups and downs.
A big part of kids’ mental health is catching any issues early and trying to stop them from getting worse.
That means making sure kids have access to therapy or counseling if they need it, building strong relationships with adults who care about them and teaching them how to talk about their feelings and understand themselves from a young age.
How to Guide Kids to Perfect Mental Health
Kids’ mental health is important for their overall growth and happiness. Lately, people are talking a lot about mindfulness and meditation for kids’ mental health.
These practices are all about paying attention to the present moment. Also, understand your thoughts and feelings and learn how to handle them well.
There are new programs and activities designed just for kids, bringing mindfulness and meditation into schools. Also in community centers and even in homes.
These programs use fun stuff like storytelling, imagining cool scenes and moving around to help kids learn how to be more aware of their thoughts and feelings.
More so, studies show that when kids practice mindfulness, they can feel less stressed and anxious. It also helps them control their emotions better, focus more and feel happier overall.
Giving kids these skills early on can help them deal with tough times better as they grow up.
The Contribution of Nature
Spending time in nature can do wonders for kids’ mental health. Nature has this calming effect that helps kids feel relaxed, connected and refreshed.
There are now programs that use nature to help kids feel better emotionally. They might take kids on hikes, have outdoor camps, do gardening projects or even go on wilderness adventures.
These activities let kids explore, play, and appreciate the natural world.
Research shows that being in nature can reduce stress, anxiety and feeling tired all the time. It also boosts mood, creativity and thinking skills.
So, by letting kids play outside and discover nature, we help them feel curious, amazed, and happy, which is great for their mental health.
Now, let’s talk about art therapy. It is a way for kids to express themselves and work through their thoughts and feelings. It uses things like drawing, painting, sculpting and storytelling to help kids open up and grow emotionally.
Art therapy programs for kids create a safe space where they can be creative, learn about themselves and deal with tough emotions.
Through art, kids can show what’s going on inside them, talk about their thoughts and feelings, and make sense of their experiences. This helps them feel more confident, understand themselves better and cope with life’s challenges.
Studies suggest that art therapy can help kids feel less anxious, sad, or troubled. It also improves how they handle their emotions, solve problems and get along with others.
By letting kids explore their creative side, we help them express themselves, find their voice, and feel more in control of their lives.
However, the goal of the above study published in JAMA Psychiatry is to both prevent kids from going through tough times and to find ways to help those who do.
That way, we can give every child the best chance at growing up healthy and happy.