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May is Mental Health Awareness Month
Children and adolescents thrive in today’s world, despite the many
challenges they face. Fostering positive relationships, developing resiliency
as a response to adversity, and increasing the capacity to cope are essential
elements of good mental health. Adults play a critical role in fostering assets
that lead to positive mental health in children.
The Fairfax
County Youth Survey provides a wealth of information about a variety of
topics related to our youth, from sleep and nutritional habits to protective
factors and risk factors that influence their physical and mental well being.
In addition, substance abuse behaviors and symptoms of depression, levels of
stress, bullying, and suicidal thoughts and feelings are also reported. The
survey has identified the following school, home, and community-based assets as
being associated with reduced symptoms of depression in youth and lower
participation in risk taking behaviors: having high personal integrity,
performing community service, having teachers recognize good work, having
community adults to talk to, participating in extracurricular and having
parents available for help.
Our “Three to Succeed” message and data from the Youth Survey show how
having just three assets dramatically reduces risk behaviors in youth. For
example, 34% of youth with 0 assets reported drinking alcohol in the last 30
days, versus only 19% who indicated they had 3 assets, and only 10% of students
who responded as having 6 assets.
All adults can foster certain protective factors, whether they are parents,
school staff or community members.
Family Based Assets
- Having parents available for help – be available after school and/or on weekends
- Parents knowing children’s whereabouts – asking them let’s them know you care
- Family members are respectful to each other – handle differences with respect
School Based Assets
- Feeling safe at school – provide a caring and secure
classroom environment
- Having the opportunity to talk to teachers one on one –
offer sign-up times
- Teachers recognizing good work – take the time to
identify what a student did well
Community based assets
- Having adults available to talk – whether you’re a
neighbor, coach, or faith leader
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Extracurricular activities – offer to be a parent
volunteer, or organize a fundraiser or volunteer activity
Resiliency
Resiliency is the capacity to overcome adversity by
responding in healthy and productive ways to successfully meet life’s
challenges. Fairfax County Public Schools believes that all youth have the
capacity for resilience. We believe it is important for our schools, families,
and communities to provide needed supports for youth that foster resiliency to
support them now and in the future. Building resiliency in our youth is
critical to their ultimate success and enjoyment in life.
Similar to the assets identified in the Fairfax County
Youth Survey, research by Nan Henderson, founder of Resiliency in Action,
offers six resiliency builders or external protective factors that all adults
can foster in children.
Increasing
pro-social behavior – Provide opportunities for positive connections with adults and peers.
Encourage children to participate in group activities that they enjoy,
volunteer to be a coach or mentor.
Set clear,
consistent, boundaries – Set rules at home and at school. Children do best when
they understand the limits within which they can operate.
Teach life skills – Model and
discuss how to handle conflict respectfully, how to persevere when
problem-solving, how to stand up (advocate) for themselves
Set and
communicate high expectations – By setting realistic, yet challenging goals you are
telling a child, “I believe in you.”
Provide
opportunities for meaningful participation – Let youth have a voice in setting
classroom rules, or choosing what’s for dinner.
Visit the following web pages for additional resources:
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