A growing body of scientific evidence tells us that emotional development begins early in life, that it is a critical aspect of the construction of brain architecture, and that it has enormous consequences over the course of a lifetime. Emotional and social development are inextricably linked to cognitive development, and we can’t have one without the other. Emotional well-being is a critical part of the foundation of social and functional competence that is developed in the first years of life and affects a child’s later ability to achieve in school and form successful relationships throughout life. These same capabilities are also essential for effective parenting, the ability to hold a job and work well with others, and becoming a contributing member of a community.
Healthy social and emotional development can be derailed in early childhood by a wide range of stressors and environmental influences interacting with genetic predispositions. Indeed, the foundations of many mental health problems that endure through adulthood are established early in life. In some cases, significant impairments in mental health that occur in young children can have serious consequences for early learning, social competence, and lifelong health. The emergence of mental health concerns in young children occurs within the context of an environment of relationships that can include a child’s parents, relatives, caregivers, teachers, and peers. Science shows that this environment of relationships plays a critical role in shaping a child’s social, emotional, and cognitive development in the earliest years. Addressing these emerging emotional and behavioral problems when children are young is an important societal issue – one that should be given the same attention as concerns about cognition and early language development.
Child Mental Health Network
The Child Mental Health Network was launched by the Center in September 2008 to address the gap between what we know and what we do related to child and adolescent mental health. This represents the first Center initiative focusing on the full span of childhood development until young adulthood. The goals of this initiative are to generate, integrate, communicate, and apply the science of children’s mental health to inform policy and practice, and to make scientific advances more transparent in order to inform public understanding. More >>
Tulsa Children’s Project
The theory of change that drives the Tulsa Children’s Project focuses on two highly prevalent yet under-addressed threats to early brain development: the disruptive impact of child mental health problems on early learning and the adverse biological effects of toxic stress related to poverty, maternal depression, or other major family adversities. Consequently, a significant component of this demonstration project is mental health promotion for children, parents, and staff embedded in all project components, focused on both primary prevention and early treatment. More >>
Reports & Working Papers
Communicating Mental Health
As part of its larger research agenda with the Center, the FrameWorks Institute is conducting a multi-year study of public perceptions in the United States about child and family mental health. FrameWorks' investigation compares scientific discourse with public perceptions, using strategic frame analysis to close the gap between the way experts in the field write, explain, and talk about child mental health and how the public thinks about this complex issue.
This research report includes a review of the scientific literature on child mental health, as well as a series of interviews that FrameWorks conducted with experts in the field, including psychologists, psychiatrists, child health researchers, neuroscientists, epidemiologists, sociologists, and health care policy researchers. FrameWorks’ research aims to find new ways to explain the science and policy implications of child and family mental health for both policymakers and the general public. This report’s findings emphasize the importance of early intervention for children who experience symptoms of mental distress to help them avoid long-term adverse outcomes.
