When we think of schools, we think primarily of academics. Schools are entrusted with educating children and preparing them for their futures, equipping them to lead engaged and productive lives. But it has become increasingly clear that academic achievement is inextricably linked to youth mental health. Research has consistently shown that emotional and behavioral health have an impact on learning outcomes. A child who is struggling with unaddressed emotional or behavioral issues may simply be unable to focus and learn and to perform to their full potential. Thus, attending to children’s mental health is not simply a luxury peripheral to educational goals but is foundational and central. Sound mental health is the bedrock on which a good life is built.
While the spotlight in recent years has been on the mental health of adolescents – where the problems are impossible to ignore – the mental health of early learners has not gotten the same attention. Yet young children’s psychological well-being is vitally important. Early childhood education and childhood development set the stage for everything that comes later.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), one in six children between the ages of 6 and 14 have a diagnosed mental health condition, such as anxiety or depression. In fact, it’s not uncommon for mental health issues to manifest in early childhood, though the signs may be less clearly recognizable. According to NAMI, 50% of mental health conditions first appear before the age of 14, and many anxiety conditions develop in the first decade of life. Further, in 2020, at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, emergency department visits related to mental health increased 24% for children between the ages of 5 and 11. Yet, it can be difficult to diagnose mental health issues in very young children, when issues present differently than they do in older kids and may be transient rather than indicative of a lasting problem.
Adverse Events and Their Impact on Early Learners
The roots of mental health issues are complex and varied. Genetics play a role, but so too do life experiences. Children who are exposed to certain negative experiences – what the researchers Vincent Felitti and Robert Anda first termed “adverse childhood experiences” (ACEs) – may be at risk for both mental and physical health conditions later in childhood and well into adulthood. Common examples of ACEs include experiencing violence, abuse, or neglect; witnessing violence at home or in the community; being in a household where there’s substance abuse or mental illness; experiencing discrimination, and living in extreme poverty. This list is far from exhaustive, and it is estimated that roughly half of children have experienced at least one ACE.
While ACEs and childhood trauma are sometimes referred to interchangeably, experts make a point of differentiating the two, suggesting that trauma is a response that may or may not occur as a result of an adverse experience.
For a great many early learners, the pandemic brought its own assortment of stresses and challenges. Young learners need in-person interactions and playtime with peers for rich language and social development. Yet during the pandemic these crucial interactions were curtailed or eliminated entirely, replaced in many cases by excessive time in front of screens. A study of 1,994 mother–child pairs found that children with two or more hours of screen time a day were more likely to have behavioral problems, delayed developmental milestones, and lower vocabulary knowledge compared to children who spent less time in front of screens.  Another study found that preschoolers’ excessive screen time during the pandemic may have negatively impacted their ability to regulate negative emotions. More screen time at age three was predictive of a tendency toward anger and frustration at age four.
Not every child will have lasting effects from the adverse experiences and setbacks they encounter in early life, but the more such experiences a child is exposed to, and the more severe they are, the greater their risk of harm. Even so, early adversity does not doom children to poor outcomes. With skilled interventions and caring support, children can bounce back and thrive.
As a paper from Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child notes, “[R]egardless of the origin of mental health concerns, new research clearly indicates that early intervention can have a positive impact on the trajectory of common emotional or behavioral problems as well as outcomes for children with serious disorders.”
Earlier Is Better
While it’s never too late to intervene to improve childhood mental health disorders, the earlier children receive support, the better. There are myriad reasons why this is so. At the most basic level, we want our kids to be happy and to experience well-being, and the sooner their difficulties are recognized and addressed – whatever their nature – the sooner their lives will improve.
But timely intervention can also have critical implications for the future. Early care and support can help prevent mental health problems from escalating over time and can ward off the most serious complications, such as suicidality and other self-harming behaviors.
Young children’s mental health issues – which often present behaviorally, through “acting out” –can have a negative impact on children’s social and emotional development and their ability to succeed in various domains. Addressing their problems early can enable them to form healthy and satisfying relationships with peers and adults and to do well academically.
In short, addressing young children’s mental health issues before they take root means these patterns can be shifted before they become entrenched. Jack Shonkoff a pediatrician at Harvard University’s Center on the Developing Child suggests successful early intervention can stop problems in their tracks: “Most potential mental health problems won’t become mental health problems if we respond to them early.”
Education, Mental Health, and Life Outcomes
Education is linked to greater opportunity and better life outcomes. Adults with more education live healthier and longer lives compared to their less educated peers. New research suggests the impact is significant: “Every year spent in school or university improves our life expectancy, while not attending school is as deadly as smoking or heavy drinking.”
But research has also shown a connection between mental health disorders and poorer academic outcomes – and whether a young person stays in school. One study found that behavioral and emotional problems at age 3 were associated with academic performance that was below grade level at age 12. And similarly, mental health problems in children at the age of 12 were associated with poor academic performance in high school and even a failure to finish school at all. On the flip side, mentally healthy students are better able to learn and engage in school activities. They’re more available to interact in satisfying and appropriate ways with their peers, with their teachers, and as part of their school community. And they’re more likely to stay in school and continue to learn.
Because mental health and academic achievement go hand in hand, it’s clear that schools must prioritize mental health for children at all grade levels, beginning with early learners. A number of studies have demonstrated that children of lower socioeconomic status have greater rates of mental, behavioral, and developmental disorders, and that their families face greater challenges and barriers to accessing care. And because we know that unaddressed mental health issues frequently get worse with time – and can derail young people’s lives – the stakes are high.
Supporting Early Learners at School
How can schools help our youngest learners? Experts note that in young children, psychological health is strongly influenced by their relationships. Warm, supportive, nurturing connections with teachers and other adults at school can have a buffering effect against stress and can positively impact mental health. When it comes to the mental well-being of young children, relationships are key.
For teachers, this means recognizing that students come to school with a wide range of histories and experiences and implementing trauma-informed practices. Trauma-informed practices and principles play a central role in helping students of all ages feel safe at school, and they’re particularly important for young children. These practices foster greater social-emotional development and can prevent further activation of trauma responses. Creating a safe, supportive classroom environment includes building trusting relationships with children and their families and helping children establish trusting relationships with peers. Other practices include using positive reinforcement rather than punishment, which can lead to feelings of shame, and helping children regulate their emotions through activities like breathing and relaxation exercises.
The parents and families of young children have a significant impact on their children’s success in school. Building trust with families is essential for helping students thrive, and it involves open and transparent communication throughout the schoolyear.
A New Early Childhood Intervention
ESS recently piloted a year-long professional development program for kindergarten and transitional kindergarten teachers in Monterey, California. While all of ESS’s programs incorporate professional development, when addressing the mental health needs of very young students, working with adults is the essence of ESS’s intervention.
Consisting of collaborative, classroom-based coaching; professional development and reflective group practice; and mental health workshops for parents, the focus is on helping adults attune to children — that is, to change the behavior of adults in a child’s orbit, rather than to find ways to make the child change.
The model helps adults learn strategies for attuning to children, entering their world via play, sensory integration, and other activities. Educators and caregivers who operate from this model give children the safety and space to develop a strong sense of self, helping to cultivate confidence, curiosity, self-control, goal-directed behavior, persistence, communication skills, cooperation, and the ability to relate to others, all of which are building blocks for academic and life success.
