Early childhood and infant mental health is vital for the emotional development and well-being of children. The first five years of a child’s life are crucial in establishing a foundation for their mental health. During this period, children learn to engage in emotional experiences, acquire knowledge, and build relationships with others.
To support healthy social and emotional growth in children, it is important to prioritize their early childhood mental health. This includes achieving developmental and emotional milestones, developing healthy social skills, and learning effective coping mechanisms. The experiences and relationships formed during infancy and early childhood shape the development of the brain and contribute to lifelong well-being.
Several factors can influence a child’s mental health during their early years. These include genetic factors, environmental factors such as exposure to trauma or abuse, and stressors from familial or school environments. Additionally, social support and personal encounters with discrimination play significant roles in shaping mental health.
Parents and educators can contribute to early childhood mental health by educating themselves about children’s mental health, facilitating early diagnosis and treatment by healthcare professionals, ensuring children achieve developmental milestones, encouraging positive parenting techniques, and providing access to resources for children.
Strategies to support early childhood mental health and well-being can be implemented at home, publicly accessible centers, schools, and at the state level:
At Home:
- Teach and encourage children to identify and differentiate between emotions and behaviors. Use puppets with different facial expressions to teach children about emotions and discuss how to cope with frustration and solve problems.
- Read to children and engage them in discussions about characters, cause and effect, and problem-solving. This can build emotional resilience.
- Involve children in age-appropriate household chores to promote a sense of belonging, ownership, and responsibility.
- Play games that promote turn-taking, cooperation, and help children learn to handle frustration.
- Listen attentively to children when they share their experiences, and discuss their problems in a non-judgmental and open manner.
At Publicly Accessible Centers:
Public centers such as hospitals, clinics, community centers, and shopping malls can be utilized to engage and educate parents and children in activities that promote mental health and well-being. Bite-sized parenting education and mental health awareness sessions can be delivered to motivate parents to seek help from professionals.
In Schools:
Schools can promote social and emotional competency and build resilience through direct teaching, learning, and engaging parents and the wider community. Strategies to implement in schools include ensuring a positive and safe environment, teaching and reinforcing positive behaviors and decision-making, encouraging empathy, respect, acceptance, and tolerance, and promoting physical health and well-being.
At the State Level:
Countries should prioritize the development of public health and well-being policies to uplift people and build resilient nations. Policies for the well-being and education of children should be a priority, along with strategies to improve access to healthcare, special needs education, safety and security, and support services for children and families. Governments should also work to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness and improve attitudes toward seeking help.
Supporting early childhood mental health is crucial in ensuring the overall well-being of children. By implementing strategies at home, in publicly accessible centers, schools, and at the state level, we can foster an environment that promotes positive mental health from an early age.
About the Lead Author: Dr Shelina Bhamani is a lead of ECD parenting and Asst Professor at the Department of ObGyn & Associate Director, Office of Allied Health, Aga Khan University.