¿Qué es la salud mental infantil?
Cuando pensamos en bebés, generalmente nos preocupamos por sus necesidades más físicas. ¡Después de todo, los bebés duermen, comen y defecan mucho! Pero a medida que crece un recién nacido, también crecen sus necesidades de salud mental. Se expresan de formas que van más allá del llanto y necesitan apoyo para desarrollar una salud social y emocional.
La salud mental infantil se refiere al desarrollo emocional y social durante los primeros tres años de vida. Durante este tiempo, el cerebro se desarrolla extremadamente rápido, lo que lo convierte en un período crítico para aprender a manejar las emociones y formar relaciones saludables. Desafortunadamente, hay muchas cosas que pueden salir mal durante este tiempo y las familias deben estar al tanto de las señales de advertencia, así como de las características de un desarrollo saludable.
Aprender tanto como sea posible sobre la salud mental infantil empodera a las familias para ayudar a sus hijos a desarrollarse y brindar intervenciones tempranas y poderosas cuando sea necesario. Encontrar un problema de salud mental desde el principio es común, pero la intervención adecuada puede marcar la diferencia. Esto es lo que necesita saber sobre la salud mental infantil y qué hacer si su hijo tiene dificultades para alcanzar los puntos de referencia clave.
Cómo se desarrolla la salud mental infantil
La salud mental es importante desde el primer día. Durante sus primeros años de vida, los niños necesitan aprender a expresarse y manejar sus emociones. También necesitan aprender cómo construir relaciones sanas y seguras y navegar el mundo que les rodea, física y culturalmente.
Aunque cada niño es diferente, es importante darse cuenta de que el entorno puede marcar una gran diferencia en la salud mental de un niño. Families and communities can help children develop into happy, healthy, and confident people by providing support in their mental health development.
How infant mental health development differs from physical health development
It’s important to understand the difference between infant mental health and physical growth to ensure that children have all the support they need for different aspects of development. While skills like hand-eye coordination and motor skills involve the brain, these milestones are related to physical, rather than mental developments. A healthy diet, exercise, and the ability to interact with the world will help children develop these skills.
A child’s emotional, intellectual, and social skills, however, develop with the brain. For children to develop emotionally, the most important factor is a loving environment that offers the child opportunities to develop self- and social awareness, problem-solving skills, focus, resilience, and curiosity.
Common mental health disorders among children include anxiety, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Children who struggle with mental health issues typically show signs and symptoms early on but display them differently than adults, which can make problems more difficult to spot. A child’s environment can be a major factor in their long-term mental health, as circumstances like abuse, neglect, persistent poverty, and other issues may cause toxic stress and prevent a very young child from developing properly and learning essential emotional and social skills.
Factors that influence infant mental health
Infant mental health development starts with children learning how to process core emotions like sadness and anger. Over time, they will learn even more complex skills, such as self-awareness and empathy. If given the opportunity to develop in a loving, secure environment, most children will become emotionally-competent, secure, and trusting.
Families can help to foster healthy development by responding to their child’s emotions, providing proper socialization opportunities, and of course, providing love and support. Parents need to be self-aware and understand their impact on their child’s early development and well-being. Avoiding the transfer of problems from generation to generation can be key in raising emotionally and mentally healthy children.
Working with a developmental psychologist
There are lots of resources for parents on child development, but sometimes, professional help is necessary. Working with a developmental psychologist can be an important step for children who might need extra support in their first few years. Psychologists are experts in how people think and behave, which allows them to help families struggling with infant mental health issues.
A psychologist can provide diagnoses and treatment plans for children who are showing signs of poor mental health or a lack of normal emotional development. Parent-infant psychotherapy can be an important tool for parents who are scared and overwhelmed or worried about the long-term implications of their child’s developmental issues. A psychologist can also help parents who are struggling with the all-important parent-child relationship.
Find a support team that suits you and your infant
Every family is different. If you have concerns about your child’s development, it’s important to find a support team that works for your individual situation. Child development professionals can help support healthy development in a number of different ways, from environmental control to changes in parental behavior.
Don’t panic if your child isn’t hitting all their milestones right on schedule. Every child is different, after all. What’s most important is providing a healthy, stable, loving environment and knowing when to seek help.