When we think of mental illness, we often associate it with adults. But research shows that 50 percent of mental illnesses can be diagnosed in the mid-teens. Mental health difficulties are the leading cause of lifelong disability with a very high risk of persistence into adulthood when untreated. 

One of the most important things you can teach your children is to recognize what they are feeling and to express their feelings in words. Help your children grow by teaching the many words for different emotions and using examples when those feelings arise in themselves and others. Sometimes it is important for children to have time with their peers. By playing with others, children discover their strengths and weaknesses, develop a sense of belonging, and learn how to get along with others.

Many children shut down when they are upset because they think all feelings except for happy ones are negative and shameful. COVID 19 has forced the world to social distance, or isolate, from friends and family. First and foremost, a child’s good mental health starts with how a parent perceives and responds to them. 

This can be difficult for those of us without a mental health condition; for the nearly 6.3 million children aged 3-17 with diagnosed depression and anxiety and the millions more who haven’t been formally diagnosed but are still impacted by symptoms, this can be extremely trying, even dangerous. Self- awareness begins at a very young age. 

As children grow older, they learn to compare what they see in themselves to what they see in others in their world. Children need the opportunity to explore and develop new skills and independence. At the same time, children need to learn that certain behaviours are unacceptable and that they are responsible for the consequences of their actions. 

Teachers are uniquely placed to support student mental health, as they spend so much time with their students – but with very limited funding and an increasingly challenging school environment, it can be very difficult to offer meaningful support. If any kid is showing even the slightest sign and or any abnormal change in the behavior, teachers can talk to the child in person. Schools try organizing a screening of documentaries and short films that talk about mental health and how students can come out in open to discuss it freely. 

Teachers should build a relationship of trust with the students so that they can open and share what’s bothering them. Also, teachers can communicate with the parents and make them aware of the fact that emotional pain is just like physical pain and it is okay to take the child to a therapist. In some cases, teachers can adopt innovative teaching strategies for students with mental illnesses.

Children are our future, and we can’t let our future generation live with the mistakes of the past. Mental health is still seen as a bit of a taboo subject and something that sufferers feel embarrassed to talk about. Many also feel judged if they explain their problems.