What is the content of children’s mental health?

The core scope of children's mental health revolves around the four core dimensions of emotional regulation ability, cognitive development level, behavioral coordination, and social adaptation status. It is not the public default that "no mental illness" is sufficient, but it must be in line with the development characteristics of the age group of the child and be able to successfully complete the psychological development tasks of the corresponding stage.

I have been working as a primary care provider for children in psychology for almost 6 years, and the most common misunderstanding I encounter is that parents directly equate "good behavior" and "good grades" with mental health. Last week, I met a second-grade boy during a psychological screening at the elementary school in the district. He scored perfect scores in math every time and never got into trouble at school. His head teacher and parents praised him as a "worry-free boy." However, in the drawing projection test, he always drew himself hiding in the corner of the house. When interviewed alone, he said that he was afraid of talking to his classmates and had to wait for everyone to go to the water bath in class before he dared to go. This is actually a clear deviation in the dimension of social adaptation, but it does not appear as easily detectable problems such as getting into trouble and being tired of studying. It is easily ignored by parents.

When applied to daily life scenarios, these professional-sounding dimensions actually correspond to very specific performances and are not as mysterious as everyone thinks. For example, emotional regulation does not require a child to be happy every day, not to cry or make trouble, but to be able to reasonably express uncomfortable feelings when he falls in pain or has his toy robbed, and either sits on the side to digest it for a while, or takes the initiative to seek help from an adult. He will not hold back for a long time and finally explode, nor will he vent his anger on weaker children or animals. I once observed a middle class girl in a kindergarten. The castle she had been building for half an hour was knocked down by a passing child. She was speechless for two minutes, holding the teacher's hand and saying, "I am very angry now. I want him to apologize to me and then ride with me again." This is a very typical expression of emotional regulation ability.

There are actually many things in the industry that have yet to reach a consensus, such as whether to classify highly sensitive traits into the category of psychological deviations. One group of scholars believes that high sensitivity is just an innate neurological trait. As long as children can adapt to their own rhythm of life, it is not a health problem. The other group believes that highly sensitive children are more likely to suffer from emotional internal conflict and social avoidance, and require preventive intervention in advance. In one of my own cases, there was a 4-year-old highly sensitive girl who used to hide in her mother's arms and cry for half an hour when she heard someone else cough. Her parents thought it was a personality problem at first, but later they didn't force her to be bolder. Instead, they told her possible sounds and scenes in advance at her own pace. Now she has I can take the initiative to hand my little doll to a crying child, and even say softly, "I know you are afraid, and I will accompany you." In fact, there are no unified health standards. In the end, it all comes down to the child's own feelings. If he feels comfortable and can easily cope with small daily things, it is more useful than using any standardized scale.

To be honest, children's mental health is like watering a sapling that has just sprouted. You don't have to force it to grow as fast and as straight as the tree next to it. As long as its roots are firmly rooted, it will not fall when the wind blows or shakes it twice, and it can handle the little bugs it has. When it cannot handle it, it knows to grow in a sunny place and ask adults for help. It is already a very healthy state.