“It’s more important than ever to check in with your kids,” said Dr. Aaron Carroll, chief health officer at Indiana University.
INDIANAPOLIS – As Hoosiers navigate their way through the coronavirus pandemic, more and more people are talking about the importance of good mental health.
Chief of Health at Indiana University Dr. Aaron Carroll said that children’s mental health should also be a priority.
“It’s more important than ever to check in with your kids,” Carroll said. “Make sure everything goes well and get them help ASAP if they need it.”
Carroll said the stresses of the pandemic have taken a toll on mental health, with ongoing concerns about regular work schedules, general well-being and fitting into the “new normal”.
Now, throw in the annual “back to school” stresses and it can be overwhelming for some students and families.
“The more you can do, the better,” Carroll said. “The more you can do to normalize these kinds of checks, the more you can do to talk about how this is something that you, as a parent, had not only as a child, but still to this day, it normalizes it for kids. , so they don’t feel like they’re doing something wrong, or it’s something they should be ashamed of, or it’s something they just have to swallow.”
How do families check in with their children?
“I think the biggest mistake people make is thinking they have to have ‘the talk’ and that they wait until things have reached a certain level of problem before they intervene,” Carroll said. “Of course, the sooner you talk to your kids, the better. If you check in often about their mental health and how they’re feeling, then it won’t become something that worries you about engaging. from your child’s or from the point of view your.”
As students get older, Carroll said there can be added pressures — emotionally, physically and socially. Carroll said it’s important to screen students of all ages.
At Indiana University, head has launched a strategic plan to improve the mental health of students on campus.
“I think it’s important to get used to the idea that mental health is a lifelong concern and something we need to continue to work on, just like we do physical health,” Carroll said. “Of course, we would never say, ‘You’ve reached a certain age.’ Now you don’t have to worry about your health anymore.” The same is true with mental health.”
Carroll suggests families focus on the positives of going back to school, like seeing friends again, participating in sports or learning a favorite subject.
“If we try to pretend that we’re all great and we’re all doing well, then kids want to emulate that, want to ignore signs or concerns, when we want the opposite to happen,” Carroll said. “I think the more we can talk about it as something that affects everyone, and that it’s a normal part of life, and that we should treat it like we do physical health where everyone has problems too, it will take it easy.”
