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Anxiety is one of our brain's ways of attempting to keep us safe from dangerous or harmful situations. When cavemen needed to hunt their own food and fight off predators, anxiety kept them safe. It served as a warning system to prevent harm or death from occurring. Unfortunately, as humans have adapted to a modernized lifestyle, we are still left with our brains' "fight or flight" mechanics. Our brains cannot differentiate between being chased by a sabre tooth tiger or the stress from stage fright.

In a healthy brain, a person will feel moderate levels of anxiety from time to time. Life can be unpredictable and can cause stress. It is when the anxiety begins to take over one's life that it becomes a larger problem. Sometimes, this takes the form of Generalized Anxiety Disorders.

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Depression is defined as a serious mental illness where one feels constant feelings of sadness, low self-worth, and hopelessness. People who suffer from depression often feel that they are alone in their suffering and often describe their experiences as being "followed by a dark cloud wherever they go."

Much like adults, children also suffer from depression. Internal factors, external factors, or a combination of both may cause depression. Prompt diagnosis and treatment of mental health illnesses provide a strong prognosis for children and adolescents.

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Statistics on Depression & Anxiety in Children in Canada

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Statistics on Depression & Anxiety in Children in Canada

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In Canada, a staggering 1.6 million children suffer from a diagnosed mental illness, with 70% of these conditions starting up in childhood or adolescent years. (Depression in Children, KIDTHINK, n.d.) A very real and sad reality is that Suicide is the second leading cause of death in adolescents. (Depression in Children, KIDTHINK, n.d.)

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Signs & Symptoms of Mental Illness in Youth

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Signs & Symptoms of Mental Illness in Youth

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Signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety can be missed depending on caregivers' personal thoughts and feelings surrounding mental health. Some cultures do not believe in accessing resources outside the home and value privacy and discretion when raising their children.

Detecting the signs and symptoms of depression and anxiety in children can be the first of many important steps in getting your child the help they need.

Signs and Symptoms include:

Poor or changing sleep patterns or habits

Loss of interest in hobbies or activities that your child used to enjoy

Physical symptoms (headaches, stomachaches)

Increase in explosive behaviours or emotional outbursts

Changes in Appetite (binge eating or skipping meals)

Withdrawing or isolating themselves from their family and friends

Engaging in acts of self-harm

Thoughts of suicide

(Depression in Children, KIDTHINK, n.d.)

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Real Kids Talk About Copying with Anxiety

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Real Kids Talk About Copying with Anxiety

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This short video shows children of various ages, genders, and races sharing their hobbies. In the first part of the video, the children share what they enjoy doing in their personal time and what helps them with stress. They explain how they cope with stress and what being anxious feels like as it may differ from person to person.

This resource helps to share the idea of mental health struggles with children. Often, children struggling with their mental health feel that they are alone in this struggle. This video would be an age-appropriate resource to start a conversation on mental health with children.

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Real kids talk about coping with anxiety

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What Can We do as Educators & Care Givers to Help Children Cope with Mental Health Issues?

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What Can We do as Educators & Care Givers to Help Children Cope with Mental Health Issues?

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Children open up to trusted adults and caregivers. Building meaningful relationships with children will make them more comfortable seeking your support in times of difficulty.

Facilitating conversations surrounding mental health in your home/class environment is key when helping children identify their emotions and experiences. These conversations can take place as young as toddler age. They can be as simple as providing classification cards depicting various children expressing emotions such as sadness and anger. This helps children identify and label their feelings from a young age.

As the children get older, the content can be geared towards age-appropriate content. For example, preschool-aged children can participate in art therapy, expressing their emotions through a variety of mediums.

Children of all ages benefit from speaking to a trusted adult. This may be an educator, a parent, a grandparent, or a mental health professional.

Lastly, a conversation with the child's pediatrician and/or family doctor is one of the first official steps recommended when helping a child with their mental health struggles. After assessing the child and facilitating a discussion, the doctor will determine the best course of action for the child. This may be therapy from a mental health professional such as a social worker, therapist, or psychotherapist, medications such as anti-anxiety or anti-depressants, or a combination of both.

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Factors Contributing to Mental Health Challenges in Children

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Factors Contributing to Mental Health Challenges in Children

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External Factors contributing to a decline in a child's mental health include:

Toxic Living Environments

Exposure to abuse (sexual, physical, emotional, exposure to intimate partner violence)

Experiencing difficult life changes (death of a parent, divorce)

Being Bullied by peer group

(Depression in Children, KIDTHINK, n.d.)

Internal factors include:

Predisposition to mental health illness through genetics

Pre-existing undiagnosed medical conditions such as ADHD and OCD

(Depression in Children, KIDTHINK, n.d.)

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Resources for Youth Struggling With Mental Illness In Canada

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Resources for Youth Struggling With Mental Illness In Canada

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The following resources provide relief to children and adolescents in need of mental health support.

Kids Help Phone Line (1-800-668-6868) Children can connect with therapists 24/7

CMHO (Canada's Mental Health Ontario): https://cmho.org/youth-resources/ This website offers many resources to assist educators, children, and caregivers in supporting children struggling with mental health challenges. One example of a Youth resource is One Stop Talk. Children ages 0-17 can call (for free) and chat with a mental health professional. Ongoing community resources are provided if needed.

Mind Your Mind (https://mindyourmind.ca/#) is A space designed for adolescents aged 14-29 to explore their mental health & wellness. This website provides a lot of information on a variety of mental health disorders, such as eating disorders, Addiction, Grief, GAD, Anxiety, Depression, Substance Abuse, and so much more.

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A trauma-responsive environment is an environment in which educators provide children with the tools and opportunities to care for their mental health needs. Educators work to make a warm, safe environment for all children.

Some examples of strategies that can be implemented to facilitate a trauma-informed classroom include:

Provide a "cooling tent" or "cozy corner" for children to retreat to when they need alone time. This area can be furnished with big pillows or other textiles, books, fidgets, and visuals.

Provide visuals for children who struggle with routine throughout the day. This helps children to know what is coming next in their daily routine.

Using positive redirecting strategies vs disciplinary measures when correcting undesired behaviours.

Build strong relationships with children and foster conversations around the child's interests and ideas.

Promote independence, critical thinking, and self-expression.

Develop Independent Learning Plans suited to meet the individual needs of children in the program by working with resource consultants and caregivers.

Make a note of each individual child's personality type, triggers and sensitivities.

Provide ample opportunities for children to create and explore art mediums to allow for self-expression.

Encourage the exploration of nature by engaging with the outdoor environments.

(National Education Association, 2023)

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References

Children's Mental Health Ontario. (2024). Kid's Mental Health Resources. Children's Mental Health Ontario. https://cmho.org/resources/

Children's Mental Health Ontario. (2024). Youth Resources. Children's Mental Health Ontario. https://cmho.org/youth-resources/#:~:text=Kids%20Help%20Phone&text=They%20also%20offer%20resources%20on,free%2024%2Dhour%20confidential%20support.

Kid's Help Phone. (2021, August 31). Real kids talk about coping with anxiety. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3_Ew7ejOo4

KIDTHINK. (n.d.). Depression in Children. KIDTHINK, Healthy Minds, Thriving Children. https://www.kidthink.ca/depression-in-children/#:~:text=Approximately%2010%20to%2020%20percent,real%20and%20needs%20our%20attention.

National Education Association. (2023, August). Trauma Informed Practices. National Education Association. https://www.nea.org/professional-excellence/student-engagement/tools-tips/trauma-informed-practices