Mental health of mothers, fathers, and families, is key to a healthy development of young children. These members are the child's immediate environment, and the more stable families are, the better chance a child will have a more positive mental health. This is meaningful to me in my current position of working with children of poverty and their families. I assist families in receiving the proper interventions so they can provide for their children. For young children, mental health of mothers can affect a secure mother-infant attachment. A fathers involvement with the mother and family can either strengthen or deprive the child of a healthy development. If a father also has a mental health disability or is the cause of the mother's negative mental health, this can negatively impact the positive interactions. These conditions have been found to encourage behavioral and psychological problems in the child (Alvarez, Hosman, Walraven, Doesum, & Hoefanagels, 2010).
In developing countries, 12% to 15% of urban adults suffer from depression (Montgomery, 2009). Mental health of the mother can affect the ability to deploy in seeking healthcare for her children and other family members. This can become a vicious cyle. Mental health interventions are only beginning to be studied in developing countries (Montgomery, 2009).
"Happier husbands tend to be more involved fathers" (Berger, 2009). With this statement, I see in my future work, strongly encouraging fathers to get involved with their children and families. If parents can work together to solve problems and provide effectively for their families, children will reap the benefits.
Montgomery, M.R., June 2009. Urban Poverty & Health in Developing Countries. 64(2). Retrieved from http://www.prb.org/
Alvarez, L.E., Hosman, C.M., Walraven, J., van Doesum, K., & Hoefnagels, C. (2010), Long-term effects of a home-visiting intervention for depressed mothers and their infants. The journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 51(10).
Berger, K.S., 2009. The Developing Person (5th Edition). New York, NY. Worth Publishing.
Amanda
ReplyDeleteDepression in adults taking care of children interferes with the type of attachment that will develop between the child and the caregiver. This will also affect other areas of the the child’s development like the schedule immunization for the child. If depression is not quickly treated in the caregiver it will affect the growth of the child too as the child will be depressed as well.
Source:Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteOften times we only discuss how the mother's mental health affects the social and emotion development of a young child. I found it interesting that you included the father in the equation. Many of the families in my Head Start program are single parent , usually mother households. In many cases, those children are at a loss if there isn't an adult male that is part of their lives. we encourage fathers to be active in the classroom and also facilitate special father /child activities through out the year. I agree that a father who provides positive support to the mother and the child enhance the overall environment and has a impact on the mental health of both .