New Orleans, La. (Ivanhoe Newswire) — One in five kids today is struggling with a significant mental disorder, but less than half receive the support they need. Over the last decade, we’ve seen a 60 percent increase in youth suicide rates. Kids today are experiencing increased levels of anxiety and depression, and more than half of all parents are worried about the mental state of their children. It may take just five minutes a day to help a child’s mental health for life.
43 percent of parents say their children are extremely stressed out and if not dealt with, it could affect them for life.
“Even in children from a young age, start talking about ways to think about emotions, feelings, behavior, right?” said Megan Campbell, DO, Child Psychiatrist, Children’s Hospital New Orleans.
Child psychiatrist Megan Campbell developed the High 5 Challenge. It’s a program that encourages parents to take five minutes each day to talk to their children, focusing entirely on them, making time for meaningful connections, sharing gratitude, discussing struggles and finding solutions.
“Sometimes just talking about fluffy stuff helps just to open up the lines of communication,” explained Campbell.
And if you’re having a hard time talking to your teen?
“I like to remember that it helps to get back to the good stuff. Is there something we both enjoy? Because it’s hard to address the tough stuff if we’re not nurturing the good stuff,” said Campbell.
Campbell says if you spend time talking about the small stuff, it will be easier for your kids to discuss the more important problems.
“So, we need to make sure our kids know that we’re on their side,” explained Campbell.
Nurturing your child’s mental health isn’t a single talk, but a lifelong journey. By focusing on kindness, empathy, self-care, and managing emotions, you will equip them with the tools to build a strong and resilient mind. You can download the High 5 Challenge toolkit on the children hospital New Orleans website.
Contributors to this news report include: Marsha Lewis, Producer; Bob Walko, Editor, Matt Goldschmidt, Photographer
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Sources:
https://www.rethinkfirst.com/resources/kids-mental-health-stress-2023/
https://www.chnola.org/documents/content/CHNOLA-BH-High-Five-Challenge-Toolkit-Web-FINAL.pdf
