Photo credit: Pexels

Bullying is an experience that puts youth at risk for problematic anxiety. This link was identified in a study that followed more than 6,000 British children from birth onwards. Youth who reported being bullied at age 13 — with incidents ranging from physical assault to social exclusion — were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder at age 18. Notably, risk increased with greater frequency of such experiences. Bullying can be prevented, since interventions that can reduce this problem exist.

This information was originally published in Vol. 19, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Photo credit: Pexels

Anxiety disorders, the most prevalent childhood mental health condition, can result in lifelong distress and reduced functioning if not detected and prevented early. Findings from a systematic review of anxiety prevention programs by the Children’s Health Policy Centre suggest five ways to help prevent children from experiencing problematic anxiety.

• Focus on children at risk for anxiety concerns. The successful anxiety prevention programs all focused on children who were at risk for developing problematic anxiety. Efforts to prevent anxiety disorders are more likely to succeed when they focus on children with elevated anxiety or children with a parent who has an anxiety disorder.
• Reach children where they are at. All the programs delivered directly to children took place in schools, typically after classes had ended. This approach has the advantage of engaging with children in locations that do not require travel. As well, after-school programming means children do not have to miss any classroom activities.
• Start with cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). CBT has a very strong record in reducing anxiety symptoms and in preventing the development of anxiety disorders. Prevention efforts should begin with CBT.
• Remember parents. All of the CBT programs featured in this review included parents. Their involvement ranged from participating in multiple group sessions to receiving information on the intervention being delivered to their child and their child’s progress. When parents are involved in prevention programming, children benefit.
• Conduct more research. While the research supporting CBT is very strong, not every child will benefit from this intervention. So other prevention options are needed. The therapeutic computer game MindLight has some evidence of success, so it may be worth considering for children who have not made gains from CBT. Still, new evaluations of MindLight are needed, especially those that are independent from individuals producing or profiting from the game.

This information was originally published in Vol. 18, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Photo credit: Pexels

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder affects approximately 1.8 million Canadians, including children and youth. And it doesn’t look the same for everyone.

This October, ADHD advocacy organizations are uniting around the theme “A Community of Support,” celebrating the power of positive connections to help people with ADHD feel understood and empowered. Their goal is to reduce stigma, build better public understanding and create a strong network of support.

The ADHD Awareness Month Coalition has compiled resources to answer common questions about ADHD and address myths. Visit their website to learn more.

Photo credit: Pexels

A study of the computer game MindLight showed positive signs that it may help prevent childhood anxiety. The game uses neurofeedback, which involves teaching children to relax their bodies using real-time feedback through an EEG headset. Specifically, as children show success in calming themselves, light levels in the game increase. MindLight also exposes children to fearful obstacles and rewards them when they pay attention to them. As well, the game uses attention bias modification training, which includes teaching children to focus on happy faces instead of threatening ones.

The study found that MindLight was as effective as Coping Cat, a cognitive-behavioural therapy program, in preventing anxiety symptoms, with both interventions producing medium to large effects on all study outcomes.

Still, caution is warranted given there is to date only one high-quality study supporting this intervention. As well, MindLight is associated with costs for the game itself and also requires equipment, including a relatively new computer or tablet as well as a specific headset that can support neurofeedback.

This information was originally published in Vol. 18, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Photo credit: Pexels 

Today, on World Mental Health Day, mental health organizations will come together to advocate for better supports under this year’s theme, “Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change.”

This theme centres on meaningful engagement with people who have lived experience of mental health conditions. It recognizes their knowledge as an important form of expertise and calls for them to be included in decisions that affect their lives. It also focuses on strengthening accountability, challenging stigma and building more community-based, person-centred mental health services.

You can learn more and find campaign resources on the World Health Organization’s website.

To learn more about a variety of children’s mental health topics, visit our Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly archive.

Photo credit: Unsplash

Sept. 30 is a day to honour the Survivors of Canada’s residential school system and to remember the children who never came home.

Marking both Orange Shirt Day — Every Child Matters and the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, this day invites everyone in Canada to learn about the lasting harms of residential schools and deepen their commitment to reconciliation.

Orange Shirt Day is a grassroots movement that began in Williams Lake, British Columbia, in 2013. By wearing an orange shirt on Sept. 30, participants help promote awareness of the intergenerational impacts of residential schools and share the message that “Every Child Matters.”

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was established in response to Call to Action 80 of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. It recognizes Survivors, their families and their communities, and is intended to ensure that the legacy and enduring harms of the residential school system are publicly remembered.

To learn more, read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action. You can also mark the day by taking part in commemorative events in your community.

Photo credit: Pexels

Cognitive-behavioural therapy, or CBT, has long been recognized for its success in preventing childhood anxiety. In a systematic review of anxiety prevention programs, the Children’s Health Policy Centre not only found that CBT reduced anxiety symptoms for at-risk children, but also that its effects were enduring, often lasting at least one year.

For more information, see Vol. 18, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Photo credit: Pexels

Early childhood is a time when several risk factors for anxiety disorders emerge and can be addressed. For example, being withdrawn or wary in new situations coupled with shyness — known as behavioural inhibition — has long been recognized as a potent early childhood risk factor. One study, which followed nearly 1,000 children from ages four to six, found behavioural inhibition increased the risk for developing an anxiety disorder. Having a parent with high levels of anxiety also increased children’s risk.

These findings can be applied to help parents and other caregivers support children who are behaviourally inhibited. For example, parents can encourage children to face situations that cause them anxiety. This could include a father creating opportunities for his shy daughter to meet new children at a playground and supporting her to play with others. Similarly, educators can structure activities so that anxious children are paired with socially skilled and supportive peers. Parents and educators can also encourage children to be more confident in new situations by praising them for being so. As well, parents can support their children by addressing their own anxiety, so they are better able to model coping well in situations they find fearful.

The previously noted study identified other factors that influence the development of childhood anxiety that are particularly relevant for educators. For example, being a victim of bullying behaviour put children at risk while having good social skills protected them. These findings are salient for educators since bullying behaviours often occur in school and many effective antibullying programs can be delivered in schools. Educators are also well positioned to effectively teach children social skills.

For more information, see Vol. 18, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Photo credit: Pexels

This week marks two significant awareness days, both grounded in prevention and community care.

Sept. 9 is International FASD Awareness Day. This annual event raises awareness of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD), advocating for better prevention, diagnosis and support for individuals with FASD. This year’s theme, “Everyone Plays a Part: It Takes a Community,” highlights the power of collective support. It also reframes healthy pregnancies as a shared responsibility, not just a matter of telling people not to drink. Notably, studies suggest that women facing significant adversities, such as poverty and lack of social supports, are at greater risk of using alcohol during pregnancy, underscoring the importance of community care. To learn more, see Vol. 5, No. 2 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

The following day, Sept. 10, is World Suicide Prevention Day. Organized by the International Association for Suicide Prevention and co-sponsored by the World Health Organization, the purpose of this day is to raise awareness around the globe that suicide can be prevented. This year marks the final year of the triennial theme “Changing the Narrative on Suicide,” which encourages open and honest conversations about suicide and suicidal behaviour while emphasizing the importance of connection and collaborative action. When it comes to children and youth, efforts to prevent suicide are strengthened by knowledge of risk and protective factors. To learn more about these factors, see Vol. 16, No. 4 and Vol. 17, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.

Photo credit: Unsplash

The burdens of anxiety disorders go beyond those experienced by young people. Hardships often extend to family members. For example, parents may end up missing work and incurring costs for treatments that are not publicly funded. Society also pays a price, in the form of lost human potential, when childhood anxiety is not prevented or treated early. Collective fiscal expenses exist as well. For instance, a Dutch study found that annual per capita societal costs were approximately $6,500 (in 2024 CDN$) higher for children with anxiety disorders than for those without them when considering costs such as health care, special education and loss of paid work for parents.

For more information, see Vol. 18, No. 4 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.