As a member agency for providers that address both child abuse and neglect as well as children’s mental health issues, Benchmarks is always elevating these issues and their impacts on the community. These two issues are the focus of annual national awareness month activities during the months of April and May. April is National Child Abuse Prevention month, which recognizes the importance of families and communities working together to prevent child abuse and neglect. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and the week of May 3rd-May 9th is recognized as Children’s Mental Health Awareness week. This time of year is a great time to discuss the intersectionality of these topics, and how child abuse and neglect impacts children’s mental health.
Protective factors are attributes that can increase an individual’s well-being. These can be both internal and external. These factors include having healthy attachments to others, a supportive community, a high internal level of optimism, and resilience.
The impact of experiencing abuse can have adverse effects on anyone. Research has shown that the effects of early childhood abuse can be detrimental to children’s long-term well-being, particularly in mental health. Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week aims to bring attention to the difficult and painful symptoms of mental illness in younger Americans, and reduce the stigma associated with mental illnesses. It is now well-established that exposure to abuse and neglect in children can lead to detrimental outcomes beyond childhood. In a 2020 article, Elizabeth Lippard and Charles Nemeroff discuss how childhood maltreatment increases one’s risk for developing psychiatric disorders (e.g. mood and anxiety disorders, and/or substance misuse disorders). The article states that child abuse and neglect is associated with an earlier age of onset and more intense symptom severity and poorer treatment response to both medication and therapy. It also states that an estimate of one in four children will experience child abuse or neglect at some point in their lifetime, however, it is widely accepted that these statistics represent a of the prevalence of childhood maltreatment because most of the abuse and neglect goes unreported. The understanding of the devastating medical and clinical consequences of childhood maltreatment has increased, and childhood maltreatment is now well-known to be a major risk factor for adult psychopathology.
Understanding mental illness can be a challenging task for adults as well as for children. Myths, confusion, and misinformation about mental illnesses can cause anxiety, strengthen stereotypes, and lead to stigma. Over the last several years, many developments have been made regarding our knowledge and understanding of mental illness, particularly in the areas of diagnosis and treatment. It is the duty of parents, caretakers, and other adults to help children and adolescents see that these things are real and can be treated, but these conversations can be difficult.
It is also the duty of our agencies and systems to assist in addressing and reducing the stigma around mental health as this will lead to a direct positive impact on the children they serve. Mental health discrimination is a harsh reality for so many individuals, including children and adolescents. There’s a high correlation between stigma and structural inequality. One recommendation made by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services to help reduce stigma around mental health is the provision of Mental Health First Aid training to school personnel, college and university staff, primary care providers, as well as faith-based communities, sports leagues, and community clubs. Another recommendation mentioned that could reduce the stigma includes providing improved training and education to trial judges, attorneys, prosecutors on the identification of mental health problems, in addition to providing training and support to specialty courts. Use this time to think about ways you can implement some stigma-reducing methods not only in your work within these systems and agencies, but also in your everyday life!
References:
Lippard ETC, Nemeroff CB. The Devastating Clinical Consequences of Child Abuse and Neglect: Increased Disease Vulnerability and Poor Treatment Response in Mood Disorders. Am J Psychiatry. 2020 Jan 1;177(1):20-36. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19010020. Epub 2019 Sep 20. PMID: 31537091; PMCID: PMC6939135.
Governor’s Task Force on Mental Health and Substance Use. www.ncdhhs.gov. (n.d.). https://www.ncdhhs.gov/documen...recommendations/open
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