Understanding the Rise of Mental Health Disorders in Childhood

The Rise of Mental Health Disorders in Childhood

A mental health disorder is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "characterized by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotional regulation, or behaviour. It is usually associated with distress or impairment in important areas of functioning.” Mental health challenges have always existed. However, data from the last two decades, particularly the past decade, shows an alarming picture of increased prevalence for children and adolescents.

Beginning in the early 2000s, there has been a sustained increase in diagnoses, with a significant spike in childhood mental health diagnoses of anxiety and depression between 2010 and 2020. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, the already pre-existing mental health challenges were severely exacerbated. Social isolation, disruption of routine, economic instability at home, and fear of illness and death contributed to further psychological distress.

Why Are Children and Youth Vulnerable to Developing Mental Health Challenges?

Children and youth undergo rapid physical, emotional, and cognitive development. This period of intense change, combined with factors like genetics or brain chemistry, can increase vulnerability. During childhood, the areas of the brain responsible for emotion regulation, impulse control, and decision-making are still developing and are not efficiently integrated with the emotional processing part of the brain.

Between the ages of 9 and 15, there is a particularly sensitive period of development. At this age, children begin developing identity exploration and heightened pressure to conform, making young people sensitive to emotional distress.

Contributing Factors to Mental Health Issues for Children and Youth

Studies have shown a noticeable increase in mental health diagnoses in children and adolescents since the 1980s, with a more rapid acceleration in the last decade. This upward trend correlates with several societal shifts. The reasons for this rise are complex, stemming from a combination of biological, social, and environmental factors.

1. A Lack of Unstructured Play

Children are born with the need and desire to experience unstructured play. How unstructured play looks will change with the age of the child, but it is essential from birth to adolescence. Unstructured free play is characterized by being screen-free, child-led, and spontaneous. The benefit of free play is that it is an essential developmental tool that promotes social skills, cognitive development, emotional intelligence, and emotional regulation.

Many children's schedules today are packed with school, sports, lessons, and other organized activities, contributing to decreased unstructured playtime. Additionally, this decrease has been exacerbated by an increase in technology and smartphone use. The minimizing of free play negatively impacts children by limiting their exposure to developing independent problem-solving skills, emotional regulation, turn-taking, conflict resolution, cooperation, creativity, and coping mechanisms.

2. Decreased Social Connection

The research on social connection and a child's mental health outcomes and overall development is plentiful. Children are born with the biological need for social connection, first with their caregivers in the form of attachment and later with their peers for social learning. These social connections set the foundation for emotional and cognitive well-being across a child’s development.

If we look at the frequency of positive social connection, peer interaction, and the felt sense of belonging and acceptance for children and youth, there has been a significant decrease in the past decade. Social isolation is strongly linked to higher levels of anxiety and depression in children and adolescents. Moreover, withdrawal from social activities, a typical characteristic of anxiety and depression, further perpetuates the cycle of isolation. Add in a global pandemic where children and youth were encouraged by health professionals to cease all in-person social interactions and activities, and it makes sense why we are starting to see such elevated symptoms of negative mental health in our most vulnerable population.

3. Environmental and Societal Pressures

We currently live in a time where children are increasingly exposed to news about global crises, environmental challenges, and social unrest. Additionally, children face socioeconomic disparities like unstable housing, food insecurity, and increased family conflict and breakdowns. These issues are not new challenges. However, the notable difference is a child's constant exposure to these issues through smartphones and social media, along with decreasing social connectedness to cope with societal pressures. Therefore, chronic exposure to stressors with decreased social connection can undermine a child’s sense of stability and safety, leading to increased mental health challenges.

4. The Digital Landscape

As mentioned previously, childhood is a vulnerable developmental period because children are incredibly impressionable. When children are exposed to technology beyond "real-world" experiences, the culture of the websites, video games, or social media platforms they use shapes their developing brain. Children need real-world experiences, challenges, and setbacks to develop resilience, social skills, and the capacity to cope with adversity. However, research has shown that the use of smartphones and other technological devices reduces interest in all non-screen experiences.

This digital world that children are growing up in consumes a large portion of their free time. This pattern of increased technology use contributes to less time spent in in-person social interactions, impacting their ability to develop meaningful connections, increasing sleep deprivation, and impairing their ability to focus due to constant notifications. These outcomes are closely linked to increased irritability, anxiety, and depression.

5. Social Media

Children, and research suggests specifically girls, are especially susceptible to the negative impacts of social media. The omnipresence of social media platforms from an early age profoundly impacts children’s perceptions of themselves and leads to poorer mental health outcomes.

Children and adolescents are developmentally driven to engage in social learning through modeling and social comparison of common behaviors with their peers. However, since the development of social media platforms, this social learning has shifted from real-world, face-to-face comparisons to virtual interactions. Social media creates curated content for users, which is often unrealistic, showcasing the lives of peers and “role models.” Therefore, children who use social media platforms as a means of social learning experience higher rates of body image issues, eating disorders, feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation.

Ways to Support a Decrease in Childhood Mental Health Challenges

To effectively support a decrease in childhood mental health challenges, parents, communities, schools, and health professionals need to take a multi-pronged approach. Together, we can stop this upward trajectory of mental health challenges for our young ones.

1. Develop Strong and Connected Relationships

• For Parents/Caregivers: Prioritize quality, unstructured time with your children (technology-free). Model healthy coping mechanisms for your own emotions and stressors. Create predictable routines and foster open communication, encouraging your child to talk about their feelings without judgment.

• Peer Relationships: Encourage in-person interactions and relationships over virtual connections. Promote community engagement and participation. These in-person interactions will help foster essential unstructured play, encourage attunement, and support social connectedness. These biologically wired social needs are antidotes to poor mental health outcomes in children.

  
  

2. Manage Technology

As outlined before, the rise of the digital era and smartphones has been directly linked to an increase in poorer mental health outcomes for children and youth. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of how our children use technology, as it can change the way their brains develop across their lifespan.

• Limit screen time and create clear and firm limits on daily screen usage. Or better yet, skip the smartphones altogether! Make mealtimes, bedtimes, and school screen-free.

• Monitor social media interactions.

• Teach your child how to be a critical consumer of information they encounter online. Discuss how social media works and the difference between reality and filtered online presentations. Encourage your child to be mindful of how content makes them feel and to share those feelings with you.

  
  

3. Focus on Establishing Routines for Physical Self-Care

Set consistent and predictable routines for your child regarding their daily physical needs. These physical self-care routines include ensuring your child gets adequate sleep each night, daily physical activity, and a nutritious diet free from sugar and processed foods. By implementing these three components of physical self-care, it is scientifically proven to decrease symptoms of mental health disorders.

4. Develop Coping Skills

Help your child develop healthy coping mechanisms to handle life’s stressors. This could include deep breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, physical activity, or creative outlets like drawing or journaling. By practicing these skills together or as a family, it can help foster improved connection and set the stage for the entire family to improve their mental health outcomes.

5. Prioritize Unstructured Play and Downtime

Ensure your child has ample time for free play, imagination, and relaxation. By prioritizing screen-free play, children are allowed to decompress, process emotions, teach social skills, and develop self-directed activities.

6. Seek Professional Support When Needed

If your child's negative mental health symptoms are severe, persistent, or significantly impacting their daily life, don't hesitate to seek professional help from a mental health professional. Early intervention can make a significant difference. At Strong River Counselling , we provide counselling services from experienced registered clinical counsellors trained to support children and youth experiencing significant mental health concerns. Please do not hesitate to contact us for more information regarding how we can best support your child and family to achieve improved mental health outcomes.

By understanding the various factors contributing to childhood mental health challenges and implementing supportive strategies, we can help our children build resilience and navigate the complexities of modern life with greater confidence and well-being.