National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day Is May 3, 2011
April 2011 Update
As the number of adverse events experienced in childhood increases, the risk for the following health problems also increases:
- depression
- alcoholism
- drug abuse
- suicide attempts
- heart, liver, and pulmonary diseases
- fetal death during adolescent pregnancy
- high stress
- uncontrollable anger
- family, financial, and job problems
The effects of these events are long term, powerful, and cumulative, and they may be invisible to health care providers, educators, social service organizations, and policymakers because the linkage between trauma and problems later in adulthood is concealed by time, the inability to "see" the process of neurodevelopment, and the effects of the original traumatic events, which may not become evident until much later in life.
With help from families, providers, and the community, young children can demonstrate resilience when dealing with trauma. Learn more about the impact of trauma on childhood development and pass the information on to observe National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.
About Awareness Day
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day is a day to join SAMHSA, communities, organizations, agencies, and individuals nationwide in raising awareness that positive mental health is essential to a child's healthy development from birth. This year, the national theme will focus on building resilience in young children dealing with trauma.