New mental health resource from SickKids
GUEST BLOG: Samantha Metler and Kelly Warmington, The Hospital for Sick Children
Mental Health Week reminds us of the important role mental health plays in the development, education and overall health of children and teens. On-line information is the most readily available resource for anyone supporting a child or teen that is facing mental health concerns. Unfortunately, evidence-based information from a credible source is not widely available.
To address this issue, experts in mental health, knowledge translation, and website design at SickKids partnered to develop a mental health webpage that provides trustworthy information on a variety of mental health topics. The new mental health webpage includes evidence-based information developed by experts at SickKids, while also highlighting valuable resources offered by other leaders in children’s mental health (http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca/mentalhealth). Hosting information on one platform – the AboutKidsHealth website – will help avoid the frustration of searching through potentially unreliable on-line resources for extended periods of time.
Information is currently available on children and teen’s anxiety, suicide prevention, and eating disorders.
Did you know?
• Every child feels anxiety at some point as a natural part of growing up. An anxiety disorder, however, is when anxious feelings interfere with a child's everyday routine
• Anorexia nervosa usually affects girls aged 13 to 15 years, but in recent years it has started to affect more boys and younger children.
Share, learn, and support children and teens throughout the mental health journey.
• Bulimia nervosa arises from a mix of social factors, stressful life events and genetics. It usually begins between the ages of 14 and 22 and often occurs with a mental health condition such as depression or a substance use disorder.
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens and young adults aged 15 to 24. A number of stressful events may lead to a child or teen feeling trapped and thinking that suicide is the only way out.
In the coming months additional topics will be added to the mental health webpage. Future topics include:
• attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
• depression
• bipolar disorder
• obsessive compulsive disorder
• oppositional defiant disorder conduct disorder
• post-traumatic stress disorder
• developmental trauma disorder
• adjustment disorder
• mental health outcomes associated with childhood neurological conditions
The webpage will also have a section dedicated to providing well-being information that can be used to help children and teens flourish. The well-being section will describe the important role nutrition, exercise, sleep, screen time, and coping strategies play in supporting mental health.
Please help spread the word about this new mental health resource! Share, learn, and support children and teens throughout the mental health journey.
