1. Mental Health Issues that Affect Today’s Families
Group Kidmin Conference
Chigago, IL
September, 2017
Katie Wetherbee, MA

2. Brain defects or injury Prenatal damage: Substance Abuse
Biological Factors
Genetics (heredity)
Infections
Brain defects or injury
Prenatal damage:
Substance Abuse
Other factors: poor nutrition, exposure to toxins
WebMD

3. Psychological Triggers
Severe psychological trauma suffered as a child, such as emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
An important early loss, such as the loss of a parent
Neglect
Poor ability to relate to others
Web MD; Mayo Clinic

4. Environmental Triggers for Mental illness
Death or divorce
A dysfunctional family life
Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety,, anger, or loneliness
Changing jobs or schools
Social or cultural expectations (For example, a society that associates  beauty with thinness can be a factor in the development of eating disorders.)
Substance abuse by the person or the person's parents
Web MD, Mayo Clinic

5. Top Ten Child Health Concerns**
Bullying
Obesity
Drug Abuse
Internet Safety
Stress
**What is the connection to Mental Health?
University of Michigan
Abuse & Neglect
Sexting
School Violence
Suicide
Depression

6. Top Stressors for Children
Faster Pace of Development
Family Disruption
Chronic Health Issues
Parental Stress
Overscheduling
Shaw and Bhagarva, 2015
Lack of Sleep
Media and Adult Content
Bullying and Teasing
Fewer Outlets for Stress
High Stakes Testing/Academics

7. What’s Going On?
Number of kids in sports has doubled in the last 20 years.
Homework loads for 6-9 year olds have doubled in the last 30 years
75% of teens will become “bored, burnt out” and quit sports
Correlation: parental spending and kids’ sense of pressure

8. 9-13 year-olds identify academics as the highest stressor in their lives
Number of children age 7-17 treated for depression has more than doubled from
Adolescent Suicide rates have quadrupled since the 1950’s

9. Relational aggression
Coping?
Alcohol and drugs
Self-harming behavior like cutting: (1 in five college students have tried it) Distracts from emotional pain; releases a “high”
Internet addiction
Avoidance
Relational aggression

10. WHAT is bullying?
“Negative, hurtful behavior that occurs repeatedly and involves an imbalance of power.”
Olweus & Limber, 2010

11. Four Groups:
The Child who is the Bully: Middle-to- “popular” in the social hierarchy; seeking to have power and maintain it.
The Child who is the Target: may have poor social skills, identified disabilities, few friends…but may be a “typical student.”
The Child who is the Bystander: provides the audience; may laugh or show approval, may be silent. Does NOT intervene.
The Adult
Crowe, C. (2012) How to Bully Proof Your Classroom

12. WHY does bullying happen?
Kids who are bullies…
Seek social status/power
May have poor problem-solving skills
Might observe aggression at home or in other environments; might be targets of bullying
Might be influenced by a culture that emphasizes winning and power
Could desire “drama” and have a need to create it

13. Bullying Interventions
DO…
DON’T…
Intervene immediately
Ensure safety
Refer to community rules
Model respect
Affirm upstanders
Ignore it
Interview kids in a group
Force kids to apologize immediately
Use conflict resolution strategies

14. Bullying in Cyberspace
No reprieve
No consequences
High levels of escalation

15. Poorly developed executive functioning Compromised physical health
Too much technology…
Decreased attention
Anxiety, depression
Lack of social skills
Poorly developed executive functioning
Compromised physical health
Decreased patience
Inability to delay gratification

16. Kids and Pornography
1/3 of children report seeing pornography online before the age of 10
Early exposure to pornography increases the likelihood of maladaptive behavior
Early exposure can lead to anxiety and depression
Persistent use may cause sexual dysfunction
Arousal and confusion

17. What do we do? Establish language around sexuality EARLY
Avoid “shame and blame;” provide reassurance
Express concern for repeated use
Provide supervision and boundaries
Differentiate REAL curiosity vs. UNREAL images
Affirm Authoritative Parenting

18. Inflation of experiences Increased risk for narcissism and depression
Social Media
Self-involvement
Looking for “likes”
Inflation of experiences
Increased risk for narcissism and depression
Senior Pictures…

19. Relational Challenges
Marriages
Parent-Teacher relationships
Parent-Child relationships
Kids’ relationships with each other

20. Mental Health Crises
How does the Church respond?

21. Speak Their Language
What are they thinking about? Talking about? Worried about?
How can we make church a place where they seek answers?
How can we modify our programs to draw them in?
How can we build relationships and develop shared expectations?
We can’t expect them to get excited about OUR agenda until we understand acknowledge theirs.

22. Let’s Keep in Touch kwetherbee@ndc.edu katiewetherbee.com
Katie Livingston Wetherbee @katielwetherbee