Research/ change agents - Children's Emotional Well-Being

We are passionate about being proactive when it comes to children’s mental health. We have become accustomed to waiting for symptoms for our physical and mental health. We know much more than ever that children can learn strategies at a very young age and have them for life.

This page provides links to evidence based research and change-agents with expertise in child and youth mental health.

---

Simon Sinek Millennials in the Workplace Video Interview

“Simon Sinek is an unshakable optimist. He believes in a bright future and our ability to build it together. Simon has devoted his life to help advance a vision of the world that does not yet exist; a world in which the vast majority of people wake up every single morning inspired, feel safe wherever they are and return home fulfilled at the end of the day. Every day is an opportunity to inspire someone.”

---

Wait Until 8th

The Wait Until 8th pledge empowers parents to rally together to delay giving children a smartphone until at least 8th grade.  Banding together helps decrease the pressure to have a phone at an early age. Ten years old is the average age children get their first smartphone and the negative impacts are clear.

More than 50,000 parents have said yes to waiting on the smartphone for their families. Why we should wait, resources, research, smartphone alternatives and more are found on this site.

---

Science Daily - New Treatment For Childhood Anxiety Works by Changing Parent Behavior

Excerpt … click above for full article. “A study in the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (JAACAP), published by Elsevier, reports that an entirely parent-based treatment, SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), is as efficacious as individual cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the treatment of childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders.”

---

Boston University: Moms Using Mobile Devices During Mealtime Interact Less With Children

According to the researchers, nonverbal interactions are a primary mode through which emotional content is communicated between parents and children, so its frequent displacement could represent a significant decrease in emotional connection. “We theorize that mobile device use was associated with a decreased number of maternal verbal and nonverbal interactions through decreased awareness of the child’s social cues while the mother’s gaze and/or attention was directed at a device,” explained corresponding author Jenny Radesky, MD, clinical instructor in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics at BUSM and a former fellow in pediatrics at Boston Medical Center.

---

ResearchGate - Jon Kabat-Zinn's Research While Affiliated With University of Massachusetts Medical School and Other Places

Jon Kabat-Zinn is an American professor emeritus of medicine and the creator of the 'Stress Reduction Clinic' and the 'Center for Mindfulness in Medicine, Health Care, and Society. This is a compilation of his research.

---

What Does the Research Say? Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL)

The benefits of social and emotional learning (SEL) are well-researched, with evidence demonstrating that an education that promotes SEL yields positive outcomes for students, adults, and school communities.

The findings come from hundreds of independent studies across multiple fields and sources that show SEL leads to beneficial outcomes related to: social and emotional skills, academic performance, mental wellness, healthy behaviors, school climate and safety, and lifetime outcomes.

---

CAMH Research Impact Report 2019

Excerpt.. Click above for the full report. “Compared with 15 years ago, there is now widespread public understanding that young people can experience depression and other mental illnesses, and that addressing mental health early is key, says Dr. Peter Szatmari. It has been shown that half of all cases of mental illness begin by age 14. Intervening in childhood and adolescence may prevent mental illness or lessen its impacts over a person’s lifetime.”

---

Children’s Mental Health Quarterly - Prevention: Reaching More Kids

Excerpt “ne of the most effective ways to help children and youth is to reach them with prevention efforts before mental disorders develop. Yet to build prevention capacity and to reach more young people, approaches are needed that do not rely solely on direct provision by practitioners. We therefore aimed to identify effective self-directed prevention programs.”

---

Children’s Healthcare Canada - Child and Youth Mental Health

Excerpt… Click above for the full document “Research conducted by SickKids (2021) involving 350 children and youth reveals that over 70 per cent reported the pandemic had evoked symptoms of depression, anxiety, irritability, reduced attention span, hyperactivity, or obsessions. Among children identifying as visible minorities, almost 28 per cent reported poor mental health symptoms, and 30 per cent experienced symptoms consistent with “moderate” or “severe” generalized anxiety disorder.”

---

Child and Youth Mental Health in Canada - Library of Parliament Research Publications

Excerpt … Click above for reference “This Background Paper briefly examines current mental health issues faced by young people in Canada, highlights the role of the federal government in addressing these challenges and describes some recent federal initiatives and investments.”

---

SickKids Releases New Research on How COVID-19 Pandemic has Impacted Child and Youth Mental, Physical Health

Excerpt … Click above for full document “While the COVID-19 pandemic has occurred in a series of waves, the heightened levels of depression and anxiety among children and youth seen at the start of the pandemic has remained consistent. This is one of many new preliminary findings from the ongoing COVID-19 mental health study led by The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids). Taken together, the latest findings demonstrate a serious, sustained negative impact on the mental health of Ontario children, youth and their families.”

---

Simon Fraser University Children’s Mental Health Quarterly - Children’s Mental Health, the Numbers and the Needs

Excerpt … Click above for full volume Spring 2022. “How many children are affected by mental disorders? What are the most common disorders that children face? And what is the impact of these disorders? We address these and other questions in this overview.”

---

National Library of Medicine … The Importance of Early Bonding on the Long-Term Mental Health and Resilience of Children

Excerpt… Click above for full journal article “The evidence on the powerful role of loving nurture in the emotional, social and cognitive development of children is powerful. Parenting is therefore more important than we could ever have imagined.”

---

BMC Psychology - Mindfulness in Primary School Children as a Route to Enhanced Life Satisfaction, Positive Outlook and Effective Emotion Regulation

Excerpt … Click above for full research article. “Taken together, this study provides preliminary evidence that the Living Mindfully Primary Programme is feasibly delivered by school staff, enjoyed by the children and may significantly improve particular components of wellbeing. Importantly, higher levels of mindfulness as a result of training may be related to effective emotional regulatory and cognitive reappraisal strategies.”

---

MINDFULNESS GOES TO SCHOOL: THINGS LEARNED (SO FAR) FROM RESEARCH AND REAL-WORLD EXPERIENCES

Excerpt … Click above for full research article. “Limited research with youth has shown promise for the effectiveness of mindfulness-based programs in schools to improve attention and executive functioning, bolster social-emotional resiliencies, and help teachers and students manage school-related stressors. Many schools have begun to integrate these programs into their curricula…”

---

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Childhood Anxiety | Literature Review

We are at the core of an anxiety epidemic (Russell, 2014), with roughly 4.4 million (7.1%) of the world’s children diagnosed with anxiety, an increase from 5.5% in 2007 and 6.4% in 2012 (CDC, 2020). This phenomenon is on the rise. Additionally, one-third (37.9%) of children aged 3-17 diagnosed with anxiety have also been diagnosed with behaviour problems or depression (32.3%). Anxiety disorders, such as social phobia, separation anxiety, and generalized anxiety, are among the most common mental health affliction present in children (CDC, 2020; Elseviere, 2020; Polanczyk et al., 2015), often emerging before they reach eleven (CDC, 2020; Kesler et al., 2005; Reardon et al.,2018). Additionally, many children go undiagnosed (Russell, 2014), and only 59.3% of children aged 3-17 formally diagnosed with anxiety received treatment (CDC, 2020; Reardon et al., 2018). Childhood anxiety is distressful for both children and their families (Elsevier, 2020) and without early intervention and effective resources, anxiety will follow children into adulthood (Copeland et al., 2014), often resulting in adverse outcomes coupled with the related financial burden toll on society (Reardon et al., 2018). Therefore, it is essential, now more than ever, to develop resources for parents, teachers, and the like to assist in supporting anxious children (Klein, 2009). The evidence says it is important to speak openly about the realities of anxiety and educate children on how to tolerate anxiety to learn they can manage their anticipatory fears (Goldstein, n.d.). Children turn to their parents for support and guidance in managing things that scare them (Elsevier, 2020), and the modern contemporary parent will seek resources to help them (Russell, 2014). Literature can provide techniques for facing anxiety is a practical, enjoyable way for guardians looking to teach their anxious children how to cope with life’s struggles. The act of reading out loud with children can be soothing for anxious children (Barr, 2020), and when a guardian is involved in the healing process, it leads to more robust skill development (Brendel, 2011). The content of literature can provide children with the vocabulary and self-awareness needed to understand and express themselves in an otherwise tricky circumstance (Barr, 2020). Ultimately, developing a series of children’s books that offer evidence-based approaches to coping with everyday situations known to cause anxiety in children would be beneficial for children, guardians, and society.

References

Barr, A. (2020, October 29). How Reading Aloud Can Help Children with Anxiety. Demme Learning. https://demmelearning.com/reading-aloud-children-anxiety. 

Brendel, K. E. (2011). A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effectiveness of child-parent interventions for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders (Order No. 3454900). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (871109324). Retrieved from https://search-proquest-com.ledproxy2.uwindsor.ca/dissertations-theses/systematic-review-meta-analysis-effectiveness/docview/871109324/se-2?accountid=14789

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2020, June 15). Data and Statistics on Children's Mental Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/data.html. 

Copeland, W. E., Angold, A., Shanahan, L., & Costello, E. J. (2014). Longitudinal patterns of anxiety from childhood to adulthood: The great smoky mountains study. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 53(1), 21–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2013.09.017 

Elsevier. (2020, April 2). New treatment for childhood anxiety works by changing parent behavior. ScienceDaily. Retrieved February 12, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/04/200402110133.htm

Goldstein, C. (n.d.). What to Do (and Not Do) When Children Are Anxious. Child Mind Institute.

Kessler RC, Chiu WT, Demler O, Walters EE. Prevalence, Severity, and Comorbidity of 12-Month DSM-IV Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):617–627. doi:10.1001/archpsyc.62.6.617

Klein, R. (2009). Anxiety disorders. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 50(1‐2), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2008.02061.x

Polanczyk, G., Salum, G., Sugaya, L., Caye, A., & Rohde, L. (2015). Annual research review: A meta-analysis of the worldwide prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(3), 345–365. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12381

Reardon, T., Spence, S., Hesse, J., Shakir, A., & Creswell, C. (2018). Identifying children with anxiety disorders using brief versions of the Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale for children, parents, and teachers. Psychological Assessment, 30(10), 1342–1355. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0000570

Russell, A. (2014, december 16). Today’s children struggle with major anxiety [ Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JEyWsa-mblc 

---

Current Opinion in Pediatrics - Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Adolescent Health

Excerpt “Research has shown positive effects of mindfulness across several health conditions commonly encountered during adolescence. Mindfulness-based Interventions can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.”

WE-SPARK Health Institute Research

What is WE-Spark Health Insitute all about?

“WE-SPARK Health Institute is an innovative partnership between Erie Shores HealthCare, Hôtel-Dieu Grace Healthcare, St. Clair College, University of Windsor and Windsor Regional Hospital that brings together health research strengths, expertise, and infrastructure froREm across the Windsor-Essex region of Ontario, Canada. We are establishing research pipelines to address pressing health issues, advancing discovery, innovation and technology, training and promoting excellence among our health professionals, and engaging our community.” Click here to view the brochure.

Reference: https://www.wesparkhealth.com/

As someone who has experienced firsthand what the power of research can do, I am honoured to be writing for this forward-thinking organization. Research brings us more options and opportunities when faced with treatment decisions. Each person I have the pleasure of meeting is delving into something new and exciting and I’m excited to help them share their work.

If you are someone who is looking for information on research that is currently being done, WE-SPARK is a place to start. I’ll be posting links to my articles as they are published.

Research Into the Trends of Pediatric Diabetes and How Families Can Thrive Dr. Jessica Kichler, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Windsor

---

Students Win Recognition in Medical Case Competition

Kylie Slogan and Alex Agostinis were selected as one of the top 40 teams to present at the IgNITE Medical Case Competition.

Some Bursaries and Awards For KDHS Grads Had No Applicants Last Year

I hope this article that I wrote brings light to unclaimed funding for graduating students not only in the town of Kingsville but provincially. It was published by The Kingsville Times

---

If you know of a student graduating in June, please read on! There are over 130 scholarships and/or bursaries available in our community alone that range from $300 to $10,000.

Thousands of dollars go unawarded every year. It’s more than worth the time to look at all the options as things have changed in recent years. Essays are not always required. Some allow submissions which include video, audio, podcast or artistic representations. Reference letters are also not required by many.

Specific details about each application are posted for the grade 12s in the Greater Essex County District School Board’s Edsby folder titled “Scholarship Applications 2022/23.” Deadlines for applications begin mid-April.

There are applications for students who are pursuing studies in horticulture, health care, food service or hospitality, entering law or emergency service, science, history, public relations, civics, technology, engineering, math, criminology, law, agriculture, border services, education, business and more.

Students do not always need to have an academic standing to apply for many scholarships or awards. Some are based on other factors such as:

• Having a financial need

• Exemplifying kindness, compassion, optimism and living each day to its fullest

• Achieving a level of excellence in Drama

• Having overall involvement in KDHS including music and sports

• Consistently displaying exemplary citizenship (and does not have to be going to college or university)

• Having overcome personal challenges (physical health or emotional health)

• Having experienced the impact of cancer either personally or within his/her immediate family

• Being a Canadian Citizen or permanent resident of Canada diagnosed with Crohn’s or Colitis

• Having a learning disability

• Being of African descent

There are many more memorial awards to review as well as those from the Town of Kingsville and financial institutions.

Community organizations such as the Rotary Clubs of Cottam, Harrow and Kingsville, The Royal Canadian Legion, Knights of Columbus, the Optimist Club, Kingsville Horticultural Society, COPPS for Charity, local businesses and churches are also very generous in supporting our graduating students.

Additional options are posted on the Board’s website. 

As a community, Kingsville thanks every local organization that supports the future of our students by opening doors to funding opportunities.

This would also not be possible without the dedication of the K.D.H.S. staff. A special thank you to our senior secretary, Madeleine Kirzinger for sharing this information.

---

Taking a Proactive Approach to Children's Emotional Well-Being

"In 2019, 301 million people were living with an anxiety disorder including 58 million children and adolescents … Symptoms are severe enough to result in significant distress or significant impairment in functioning." (1) 

The World Health Organization (WHO) has developed the Comprehensive Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030 based on the predecessor of 2005. Yet, many countries do not have a national action plan that can be implemented, measured for success, and revised. How powerful it would be to have programs and services that are researched, evidence-based, and consistently supported throughout a country, from state to state or province to province.

We don't need to reinvent the wheel but learn and adopt aspects of what is working elsewhere. Thankfully, we do have countries in the world with national policies in place for children. There are many, but I'll cite two. Australia has Headspace, a National Youth Mental Health Foundation that provides early intervention mental health services to 12-25-year-olds. It includes online and phone counseling services, vocational services, and presence in schools. Ireland has Jigsaw which can be seen in session rooms, classrooms, lecture halls, on sports grounds, workplaces, homes and more, both physically and digitally. What do these two models have in common? From my perspective, they are available across the whole country, integrated and working well beyond the restricted umbrella of “The Ministry of Health”.

What’s working? What’s not? I’m throwing out one theory of my own. We act when we recognize symptoms in our children. Early Intervention is engrained in our minds, and so it should be. When something seems “off”, we seek help. We’ve got it backward! We do the same thing when we make an appointment with our doctor – we have an illness or injury and a reason to call! We’ve become accustomed to being responsive rather than proactive with all aspects of our health.

This world is more complex than ever. Our growing number of struggling children demands an urgent response. How can we, as adults, understand and be able to provide what the children of today need for their own emotional well-being when we weren’t raised with the challenges they now face? I’m suggesting we need to seek out resources and learn for ourselves so we can model for our children. The first step is to admit that we need help to do this.

I’ve seen early years and primary classrooms practice mindfulness or yoga activities daily, children who understand and embrace closing their eyes and breathing to calm their minds and bodies.

I walk daily, where my thoughts become clear, and I am totally present in nature.  One cold snowy day, I stopped and called my niece Amber Raymond (a studying social worker at that time) and threw some crazy ideas at her. I then excitedly asked her if she would like to write a children’s book series with me. She jumped right in and so it began!

We’ve taken evidence-based strategies that clinicians use to support struggling teens and adults and simplified them to create children’s books as teaching tools. In each of the books we’ve titled, The Power of Thought, we beam children away to a fictitious planet where childlike beings glow in the colour they are feeling. They haven’t learned to recognize or deal with their emotions yet. A conflict is introduced that any child can relate to and by the end of the book, the situation has been resolved using a fun, step-by-step process. Imagine children learning to integrate these strategies into their own daily practice while they are still sponges, soaking everything up around them! We’re developing a resource package for parents and educators.

Taking the Helm, the podcast I’ve been hosting for three years is shifting its focus to children’s emotional well-being. Our guests are going to help us all flip to a proactive state of mind. What’s working out there? What can we do to PREVENT our children from developing symptoms of anxiety or depression? I can’t wait to learn from and with them.

Our focus is now crystal clear. We're passionate about reaching children before they finish the primary grades. Tools, strategies and a positive mindset can only serve them well. It’s a piece of this very complex puzzle but a critical one.

The icing on the cake? Learning to be proactive for our kids gives us tools that we can begin to use for ourselves. I for one, have learned so much while writing with my niece, including self-compassion. Imagine a world where children learn to embrace their emotions at a young age, are self-confident, empathetic, can self-regulate, and develop strong social and problem-solving skills! Our children are the future – our future.

(1)  Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation. Global Health Data Exchange (GHDx),

(https://vizhub.healthdata.org/gbd-results)

---

Would the Life Story of a Parent or Grandparent Change Your Perspective?

Just about a year ago, I spoke to my father (then 82 years of age) about a writing platform I had discovered called StoryWorth. He had mentioned after I published my last book that he had written a great deal during his life but never did anything about it. Over the years he had told many stories to us but they were never recorded in any way, only engrained in our memories.

11 months later, at our family Christmas, the book he had finished writing titled, “Pappa Pete, My Journey” became a Christmas gift for the family. It was a moment in time I’ll never forget and I don’t think it would have been possible without StoryWorth.

StoryWorth is the easiest way to record family stories and print them in beautiful hardcover books. I became his “partner” and every week sent him a question to respond to. I took on the editor hat and everything flowed beautifully. We searched for photos and easily added them into the chapters. When my father needed a break, we paused the questions. Dad simply replied with his story via email or the website, and at the end of a year, it became his book.

My father was a child in Scotland and recalls hiding in the bomb shelters. His recollections of the family emigrating to Canada, his teenage years, shenanigans, triumphs and tragedies are a treasure for each of us now. My daughter said, “I’m so happy he shared his journey! I will cherish it forever and loved hearing his story!”

This was the perfect gift and we kept it a secret between us for almost a full year (other than my husband). I learned so much about him and my ancestors. Of course, some of his memories differ from mine. Everyone sees things from different perspectives and our memories cloud over time. How fascinating it was to have these regular conversations with him over the year. This will now be an heirloom for generations.

On a side note, I wish I had thought of creating such a program myself! It’s user-friendly, holds every entry, allows edits at any time, has a question bank you can use (or you can write your own), and support is readily available.

In today’s world, our grandchildren won’t even have handwritten letters to hold on to for memories. Don’t hesitate to capture the life stories of the people you love by beginning the conversation. There is nothing more magical than seeing them hold their own book in their hands, knowing that generations to come can take a walk in their shoes.

---