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This Web site is a component of the SAMHSA Health Information Network. |
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SECTION
I
Mental Health Perspective
Recent neurobiological research
has produced a solid basis for introducing an early childhood mental health
perspective into programs and systems that serve young children and their families.
Neurobiologists have dramatically increased our understanding of how the brain
develops during the first 3 years of life by describing the impact of environmental
and biological factors on a child’s cognitive, physical, behavioral, and
social development. Concurrently, research on child development and clinical
practice has shown that nurturing relationships play a crucial role in facilitating
young children’s social and emotional development. These bodies of knowledge
provide a solid basis for introducing the mental health perspective into early
childhood programs and systems.
The ultimate goals of this early childhood mental health perspective are to
enhance the well-being of all children in child care settings and to
minimize or avoid behavioral problems in children with special needs (Donohue,
Falk, & Provet, 2000). Designing and implementing child care and other programs
that emphasize the mental health of the participating children reflect the essence
of the mental health perspective.
The mental health perspective holds that the behavior of young children must
be understood within the context of:
- an age-appropriate developmental
sequence (is the child meeting expected developmental milestones?),
- relationships between
children and caregivers in their immediate environment (within the family
or in a child care setting), and
- factors in the broader
environment that impact child-family relationships (such as extended family,
work, and neighborhood).
The adoption of a mental
health perspective offers an opportunity for mental health professionals to
play a new role in early childhood and family support settings.
Traditionally, when mental health professionals have been involved in early
childhood and family support programs, they have directed their efforts toward
children who have exhibited the greatest difficulties—the child who hurts
herself or others, or the child with difficult-to-manage behaviors. These professionals
have generally referred a “problem child” to psychotherapy and the
family to counseling. If mental health consultation has been available, it often
has been limited to interventions at the time of a crisis.
By contrast, programs that
integrate a mental health perspective have a strong focus on prevention.
These programs:
- try to anticipate and
promote the well-being of the child, rather than respond exclusively to identified
problems;
- reach out to children
at risk of developing social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties;
- acknowledge that some
young children have identifiable disturbances and are seriously troubled;
and
- view parents and other
adult caregivers as an integral part of promoting the mental health of all
children, but especially those with identified behavioral problems.
VALUES
INHERENT IN THE MENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVE
The mental health perspective
in early childhood programs is based on a set of values that underpin its models
and approaches in policy, practice, and attitude (Feinberg & Fenichel, 1996;
Stroul & Friedman, 1986; Zero to Three, 1992). These values include the
following:
1.
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All
young children deserve to spend their days in a safe, stable, caring, and
nurturing environment. In early child care settings, the caregiving environment
plays a crucial role in promoting healthy social and emotional growth and
resiliency, in protecting young children from psychological harm, and in
creating conditions conducive to appropriate social and emotional well-being. |
| 2. |
To
meet the mental health needs of very young children, it is necessary not
only to consider the young child and her parents and caregivers as individuals,
but also critical to consider the quality of the child’s many relationships.
Examples are the relationship between the child and her parents, the relationship
between the child and other important people in her life, and the relationships
among adults within and beyond the family. |
| 3. |
Families
are considered to be full participants in all aspects of the design, implementation,
and evaluation of programs and services for their young children. |
| 4. |
Early
childhood mental health services are responsive to the cultural, racial,
and ethnic differences of the populations they serve. |
| 5. |
Practices
build on, promote, and enhance individual, family, and child care staff
strengths, rather than focus solely on weaknesses or problems. |
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