Where Do We Begin? The Role of Families and Adult Caregivers in Youth Mental Health Interventions in a Low-Resource Environment
“Growing and loving well” as the basis for children’s mental health lays an impactful foundation to considering healing and wellbeing. Although much of the global mental health work I am familiar with centers around providing tools to support adults to essentially get through the day, this definition of early childhood mental wellbeing opened a window for me to consider a complimentary approach to interventions and psychosocial support when working with children and youth.
Firstly, reflecting on the impact and scope of risk and protective factors, frequently, particularly in environments where adversity is highly prevalent, the focal point of interventions may need to remain at the amplification of protective factors. This approach acknowledges the existence of deeply ingrained risk factors that might be too systemic to be fully addressed by any intervention. Reflecting upon the teachings of the “Vitamins of Attachment” course, it is clear that various layers of a child’s ecological systems influence their development.
This insight has shed light to the significant impact that small, targeted interventions can potentially have in a ripple effect form. Although this is a long standing dilemma in humanitarian and low resource contexts, rather than spreading resources thin in an attempt to address all aspects simultaneously, an interesting approach may be concentrating efforts in a particular area where they might be most effective or accessible. For instance, enhancing the child-parent bond or establishing safe community play areas, may have a positive impact on youth mental health. No program or intervention will have the capacity to be the solution for all challenges, but by leveraging existing resources and stakeholders and targeting small aspects dedicatedly, we may begin nurturing the fertile grounds where the seeds of resilience and well-being can flourish.
In discussing with, and learning from, our conversation with the JAAGO foundation, the communities they serve in Bangladesh face prominent challenges around poverty and limited financial resources, which exacerbate concerns like child trafficking, adolescent marriage and school dropout rates. Particularly beyond the age of 15, students struggle to juggle staying in school while needing to work or marry to decrease financial burdens in their households. The JAAGO foundation primarily focuses on education, offering an English curriculum and establishing digital schools in remote areas powered by facilitated electricity. Unfortunately, in addition to the mentioned challenges, family instability, often characterized by challenging family dynamics, and societal and religious expectations, significantly impact students’ educational path. During this term, JAAGO’s priority is addressing dropout rates by tackling these multifaceted challenges with a mental health approach, with a preliminary consensus that supporting families could be critical toward positive change.
This view echoes insights from the training, emphasizing the crucial role adults play in shielding children from toxic stress. In light of this, child interventions might benefit from incorporating strategies aimed at adults and the immediate family and caregiving circles. Early caregiving experiences, which shape core narratives and relationships, should not be overlooked. At times, parents misinterpret children’s behaviors calling for support or help as manipulative ones, highlighting the need for parent education. Given that parental behavior influences attachment styles, should we consider leveraging attachment theory to craft more nuanced psychosocial interventions for youth and families, beyond just tackling symptoms?
Moreover, when delving into the space of global mental health and working cross-culturally, centering adaptation and participatory design is vital to foster meaningful collaboration and effective outcomes.
