Editorial: Improving children's mental health. What does that mean, actually?

Abstract

The importance of promoting child and adolescent mental health seems self‐evident. However, child and adolescent psychologists and psychiatrists are not necessarily in agreement with each other about what promoting mental health means, the desirability of intervening to influence development, and whether improving mental health promotion justifies reducing young people's autonomy. If expressed and discussed openly, diverging views and opinions about these issues can be constructive and deepen insights. Philosophical discussions about the belief systems and their relation to theoretical models underlying specific research questions, methodological choices, and interpretations of findings raise awareness of the inherent subjectivity of mental health evidence and research, and stimulate ‘clear thinking’, arguably the most valuable implement in any scientist's toolbox.

Exploring the Associations between Chronotype, Night Shift Work Schedule, Quality of Work Life, and Sleep Quality among Maternal and Child Health Nurses: A Multicentre Cross-Sectional Study

“…Children require extra care and attention because they are immature and less able than adults to adapt to their surroundings [4]. Psychologically, women and children are susceptible to social and family pressures and have complex psychological needs that require care and comfort [5,6].…”

Teachers' Knowledge Regarding Preschool Children's Mental Health

“…Generally, mental health is a condition of mental well-being that allows people to cope with life's circumstances, recognize their capabilities, pursue educational and professional goals effectively, and contribute to their community (World Health Organization, 2018). According to Oldehinkel (2019), adults are crucial in creating an environment that allows preschoolers to develop the necessary physical and mental foundations for carrying out normal functions to their fullest potential. This implies that parents and guardians are the closest people in shaping and nurturing their development and growth in supporting mental health and well-being.…”

A Retrospective Review of Parent-Reported Anxiety and Emotional Functioning in Children with Developmental Challenges After Participation in the Brain Balance® Program

“…The survey items asked parents to rate statements about aspects of their children's mental health on a numeric scale of 0 to 10 (0 = not observed/ does not apply; 10 = frequently observed) before and after program participation. Although mental health comprises many different elements [36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43] -including the ability to (1) learn, (2) feel, express, and manage emotions, (3) form and maintain relationships, and (4) cope with and manage change and uncertainty -the surveys used in this study focused on two specific facets of mental health related to emotional functioning and regulation (#2 above) and anxiety (#4 above), which will collectively be referred to in this paper as mental well-being. This paper presents a retrospective review of archived survey data collected over 4 years from parents to assess their children's mental wellbeing before and after participation in the Brain Balance program.…”