Mental Health Promotion in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Mental illnesses among children and adolescents are on the rise and are becoming one of the prime causes of disability across the globe. Untreated or unaddressed mental health issues can extend to adulthood. They can have severe long-term physical, social and economic adverse effects, including low employment rate, lesser wages if employed, interpersonal difficulties and more legal and criminal contacts. However, the focus on preventative and promotive mental health measures has gotten rather less emphasis than the sickness side, including treatment and research on mental illnesses. Resilience and positive well-being are protective against developing mental illnesses and improving courses for those who have developed such issues. Resilience can be enhanced by adopting a healthy lifestyle, music, and other art forms as a recreational activity, limiting screen use and having good social support. Various school-based programs are being developed and tested, targeting positive mental well-being and resilience in children and adolescents. A few of them discussed in this review are life skill education, PAX good behavior games, source of strength, Zippy’s Friends, You Can Do It!, and mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR). The responsive advocacy for life and learning in youth (RALLY). Despite these, more investments should be directed towards the prevention of illness and promotion of mental well-being than mere treatment and rehabilitation a ARTICLE INFO fter an illness.