Published by The Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University
The science of child development shows that the foundation for sound mental health is built early in life, as early experiences—which include children’s relationships with parents, caregivers, relatives, teachers, and peers—shape the architecture of the developing brain. Disruptions in this developmental process can impair a child’s capacities for learning and relating to others, with lifelong implications. For society, many costly problems, ranging from the failure to complete high school to incarceration to homelessness, could be dramatically reduced if attention were paid to improving children’s environments of relationships and experiences early in life.
Share This Post!
Caring for Caregivers Experiencing Secondary Trauma
By Heather C. Forkey, MD, Elaine Schulte, MD, MPH, and Luanne Thorndyke, MD Secondary traumatic stress (STS) is the emotional duress caused by indirect exposure to distressing events experienced by others. [...]
How to Talk About Mental Health
By SAMHSA Mental health is essential to a person’s life in the same way as physical health. Hesitation to talk about mental health adds to the notion that the topic is [...]
Prioritizing Minority Mental Health
By CDC Office of Health Equity Mental health matters! Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects how we think, feel, act, handle stress, relate to others, and make [...]
Exploratory Study Associates Childhood Trauma with Brain Features in Abusive Mothers
By University of Fukui As sad as it is, child maltreatment continues to be a prevalent global social issue. Recent studies have revealed that up to one billion children aged 2 [...]
SAMHSA Recognizes Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month
By Stacey Owens, M.S.W., LCSW-C, Military and Veterans Affairs Liaison, Center for Mental Health Services Although often associated with combat veterans, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that [...]
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder and Cancer
By American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a type of anxiety disorder. Some people develop PTSD after experiencing a frightening or life-threatening situation. PTSD is most [...]