There has been much discussion in recent years about post-partum depression, the stigma surrounding it and the effects it has on the child in relation to the five developmental domains with particular attention paid to attachment and social-emotional wellbeing of the child.
I researched this common topic in England and was not surprised to see that studies completed regarding the mental health and stablility of parents and it’s effects on children. According to the article “Parents’ mental health and children’s cognitive and social development: families in England in the Millennium Cohort Study” resulted in finds of lower attainment in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development among children whose parents were experiencing high levels of psychological distress. …Stronger effects of mothers’ mental health were found for boys than for girls.
Personally, this information meshes with what I already believed and what I try to keep in mind at all times when working with both my child and with the families I work with as an Early Childhood Special Education teacher. I was recently educated that our local United Way provides assistance to families with persistent mental health issues including counseling access and medication management to families that are uninsured. This is a resource that I will be sharing with my families as well as noting for myself in case of an insurance lapse.
Reference:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19823757 (FK Mensah)
Steph,
ReplyDeleteMental health is such a crucial component of overall well-being for both children and families. Caregivers who are depressed, disinterested, anxious, or detached are likely to have a difficult time managing every day tasks and routines, much less being able to make meaningful connections with their children. As early childhood professionals, we should have resources for mental health available to families. It is fantastic that your local United Way offers such assistance. My community also has several options for families, however, sometimes getting that information to the people who need it the most is more of a challenge than the actual access to care. I think that's where having a caring, respectful, solid relationship with families is especially helpful. Adults may be more likely to use and inquire about resources if there is preexisting trust and comfort.
Stephanie, I enjoyed your article, and as Berger (2012) states that mental illness suggests that disorders are extremes of adaptive traits, such as a vivid imagination or feelings of anxiety. Children of mental illness parents have a higher risk for developing mental illness than other children and when both parents are mental illness this is an even higher risk. " It is stronger when a parent has one or more of the following: Bipolar disorder, anxieety discorder, ADHD, Schizophrenia, alcoholism, or other drug abusive, or depression. Risk can be inherited by parents through the genes."
DeleteReferences:
American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry(2014). Children of Parents with mental Illness(No.39) December 2008