There are many important ways parents and caregivers can help children who have had traumatic experiences. Some of the most important ones are helping them to feel safe, learn healthy routines, identify and manage their emotions and behavior, and build resilience.
On Mar 3, 2021, a Youth Town Hall entitled “Promoting Youth Mental Health and Well-Being Through Resiliency and Community Connection’’ engaged youth leaders from the City of Irvine’s High School Youth Action Team (HSYAT), along with parents and other community leaders, to discuss the mental health impacts the COVID-19 pandemic has had on high school students.
This document provides a summary and synthesis of the learnings from that event.
The American Academy of Pediatrics calls for governmental, institutional and academic leaders to incorporate effective ways to identify and address the effects of trauma on children, families and their healthcare providers in a policy statement, “Trauma-Informed Care in Child Health Systems,” published in the August 2021 Pediatrics.
The policy statement and accompanying clinical report, which will be published online Monday, July 26, observes that when children lack safe, stable, and nurturing relationships, their response to stress over time can result in lifelong impairments in physical, mental, and relational health. The clinical report provides practical tools for pediatricians to embrace this approach when working with children, families and communities.
The American Academy of Pediatrics emphasizes the latest research showing the significance of safe, stable, and nurturing relationships as a protective buffer against the biological harms of toxic stress on children – as well as a key toward building resilience – in an updated policy statement. When children feel connected and supported in the early years, they are more likely to become healthy, competent and educated citizens later in life.
The policy statement, “Preventing Childhood Toxic Stress: Partnering With Families and Communities to Promote Relational Health,” will be published in the August 2021 Pediatrics (published online July 26). The statement focuses on just how important relationships and positive childhood experiences are in preventing and healing toxic stress. This policy moves away from a problem-based model that focuses on a child’s past adverse experiences and instead presents a positive, strengths-based approach that fosters solutions at the family, community and societal levels.
Recent progress in understanding the lifelong effects of early childhood adversities has clarified the need for an organized strategy to identify and intervene with children, adolescents, and families who may be at risk for maladaptive responses. Trauma-informed care (TIC) in child health care operationalizes the biological evidence of toxic stress with the insights of attachment and resilience to enhance health care delivery to mitigate the effects of trauma.
The NAMI OC Warmline is a free and confidential telephone service providing emotional support and resources to Orange County residents.
If you, a family memeber, or a loved one are experiencing mental health concerns, substance abuse, loneliness, or are in need of community resources, The WarmLine is for you!
Call or Text: (714) 991-6412
