2018 May Awareness Campaign

Thank you for joining us for Children’s Mental Health Month. Please Continue to share this information and talk about children’s mental health throughout the year.

May 2018 Fact of the Day

May 31

“From the prenatal period into early adulthood, there are many opportunities to support the mental health of our young people. From providing support for families, to promoting programs in schools, to providing access to a full spectrum of mental health support in the community, we can address risk factors and intervene early. Unfortunately, signs are often ignored and not met with supports for the child. When we do not act early to support our children and young adults, we face consequences like suicide, incarceration, homelessness, and school drop-out. This is not the result of a particular individual’s actions but of a system that does not yet promote and support mental health as needed.”

May 30

“Conduct disorder” refers to a group of behavioral and emotional problems in youngsters. Children and adolescents with this disorder have great difficulty following rules and behaving in a socially acceptable way. They are often viewed by other children, adults and social agencies as “bad” or delinquent, rather than mentally ill. Many factors may contribute to a child developing conduct disorder, including brain damage, child abuse, genetic vulnerability, school failure, and traumatic life experiences.

May 29

“Bipolar disorder is not the same as the normal ups and downs every kid goes through. Bipolar symptoms are more powerful than that. The mood swings are more extreme and are accompanied by changes in sleep, energy level, and the ability to think clearly. Bipolar symptoms are so strong, they can make it hard for a child to do well in school or get along with friends and family members. The illness can also be dangerous. Some young people with bipolar disorder try to hurt themselves or attempt suicide.”

May 28

Happy Memorial Day!

May 27

One Review of 121 studies published in 2013 found that youth between the ages of 12 and 18 who experienced discrimination were significantly more likely to experience mental health problems such as depression and anxiety compared to those who did not experience discrimination. 

May 26

Blatant acts of racism are not the only ways that racial stress has a negative impact on health. Microaggression, a term first coined in 1969 by the late psychiatrist Chester Pierce, M.D., is today known as a brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignity, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicates hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color. While they may seem like small offenses, the effects of microaggressions accumulate over time, contributing to mental health difficulties, such as depression or anxiety, and physical health consequences, such as pain and fatigue.

 

 

May 25

Noteworthy is support specifically related to and affirming one’s sexual orientation and gender identity, which appears to be especially beneficial for youth (compared to general support) found that sexuality-related social support from parents, friends, and community during adolescence each uniquely contributed to positive well-being in young adulthood, with parental support providing the most
benefit.

 

May 24

LGBT youth in schools with enumerated nondiscrimination or antibullying policies (those that explicitly include actual or perceived sexual orientation and gender identity or expression) report fewer experiences of victimizations and harassment than those who attend schools without these protections. As a result, lesbian and gay youth living in counties with fewer sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI)-specific antibullying policies are twice as likely to report past-year suicide attempts than youth living in areas where these policies were more commonplace.

 

May 23

Minority stress theory has provided a foundational framework for understanding sexual minority mental health disparities. It posits that sexual minorities experience distinct, chronic stressors related to their stigmatized identities, including victimization, prejudice, and discrimination. These distinct experiences, in addition to everyday or universal stressors, disproportionately compromise the mental health and well-being of LGBT people

May 22

“25.2% of foster “alumni” are diagnosed with PTSD, which is nearly DOUBLE the rate of US Veterans.”

http://www.practicenotes.org/vol10_no3.htm

May 21

“42.8% of LGBTQ youth seriously consider suicide vs. 14.8% of heterosexual youth. Family acceptance dramatically decreases an LGBTQ child’s risk of depression, substance abuse and suicide.”

https://ce21.blob.core.windows.net/…/6mw26xtn9kw1h5yzvudnag…

May 20

Caregivers suffer from increased rates of physical ailments (including acid reflux, headaches, and pain/aching), increased tendency to develop serious illness, and have high levels of obesity and bodily pain.

Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-health

May 19

“Caregivers’ self-care suffers because they lack the time and energy to prepare proper meals or to exercise. About six in ten caregivers in a national survey reported that their eating (63%) and exercising (58%) habits are worse than before.”

https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-health

May 18

Research shows that female caregivers (who comprise about two-thirds of all unpaid caregivers) fare worse than their male counterparts, reporting higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and lower levels of subjective well-being, life satisfaction, and physical health than male caregivers.

Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-health

May 17

Caregiving can also result in feeling a loss of self identity, lower levels of self esteem, constant worry, or feelings of uncertainty. Caregivers have less self-acceptance and feel less effective and less in control of their lives than noncaregivers.

Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-health

May 16

Depressed caregivers are more likely to have coexisting anxiety disorders, substance abuse or dependence, and chronic disease. Depression is also one of the most common conditions associated with suicide attempts.

Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-health

May 15

Estimates show that between 40 to 70% of caregivers have clinically significant symptoms of depression, with 
approximately one quarter to one half of these caregivers meeting the diagnostic criteria for major  depression.
Family Caregiver Alliance National Center on Caregiving
https://www.caregiver.org/caregiver-health

May 14

“Of the 74.5 million children in the United States, an estimated 17.1 million have or have had a psychiatric disorder — more than the number of children with cancer, diabetes, and AIDS combined. Half of all psychiatric illness occurs before the age of 14, and 75 percent by the age of 24.”

https://childmind.org/2015-childrens-mental-health-report/

May 13 – Happy Mother’s Day! Thank you for all that you do!

May 12

“The Most Commonly Diagnosed Mental Health Disorders in Children Are: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (6.8%) was the most prevalent parent-reported current diagnosis among children aged 3–17 years, followed by behavioral or conduct problems (3.5%), anxiety (3.0%), depression (2.1%), autism spectrum disorders (1.1%), and Tourette syndrome (0.2% among children aged 6–17 years).”

Centers for Disease Control Mental Health Surveillance Among Children — United States, 2005–2011
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6202a1.htm

May 11

““The onset of major mental illness may occur as early as 7 to 11 years of age.”

http://www.nccp.org/publications/pub_929.html

May 10

May 9

May 8

“More than 1 in 4 boys of color with disabilities receive an out-of-school suspension.”

May 7

“50% to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for a mental disorder and 60% meet the criteria for a substance use disorder.

SAMSHA “Juvenile and Criminal Justice”
https://www.samhsa.gov/criminal-juvenile-justice

May 6

“Youth experiencing migraine with aura were three times as likely to have clinically significant anxiety scores.  Children with chronic daily headache had a higher depression score than the standardized reference population.”

May 5

“Suicidal thoughts and behaviors are common among adolescents and young adults with chronic illness, particularly among those with co-morbid mood disorders. Health professionals should routinely ask about STB during assessments of their adolescent and young adult patients.”

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28814100

May 4

“50% to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system meet the criteria for a mental disorder and 60% meet the criteria for a substance use disorder.

SAMSHA “Juvenile and Criminal Justice”
https://www.samhsa.gov/criminal-juvenile-justice

May 3

“Young people with access to mental health services in school-based health centers are 10 times more likely to seek care for mental health or substance abuse than those who do not.” 
Child Mind Institute

May 2

“Youth Mental Health is worsening.  Rate of youth with severe depression increased from 5.9% in 2012 to 8.2% in 2015.  Even with severe depression, 76% of youth are left with no or insufficient treatment.” 

The State of Mental Health in America, 2018. http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/state-mental-health-america

May 1

“64.1% of youth with major depression do not receive any mental health treatment. That means that 6 out of 10 young people who have depression and who are most at risk of suicidal thoughts, difficulty in school, and difficulty in relationships do not get the treatment they need.”

2017 State of Mental Health in America – Youth Data” http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/issues/2017-state-mental-health-america-youth-data