Mental Health Problems in Children and Young People with Learning Disabilities

N

6

Mental Health; Learning Disabilities; Children; Well Being; Adolescents; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Depression (Psychology); Anxiety; Mental Disorders; Behavior Disorders

We all have mental health. Mental health relates to how we think, feel, behave and interact with other people. At its simplest, good mental health is the absence of a mental disorder or mental health problem. Adults, children and young people with good mental health are likely to have high levels of mental wellbeing. The World Health Organisation has defined mental wellbeing as "a state of mind in which an individual is able to realise his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community" (World Health Organisation, 2010).It can be helpful to understand wellbeing as being made up of two key elements: (1) Feeling good; and (2) Functioning well. Feeling good means experiencing positive emotions like happiness, contentment and enjoyment. It also includes feelings like curiosity, engagement and safety. Functioning well is about how a person is able to function in the world. This includes having positive relationships and social connections, as well as feeling in control of your life and having a sense of purpose. Mental well-being does not mean being happy all the time and it does not mean you won't experience negative or painful emotions such as grief, loss, or failure, which are a normal part of life. People with high levels of well-being will still experience these feelings, but are likely to be better able to cope with them without it having a significant impact on their mental health. [This paper was published in: "Proceedings of the National Seminar on 'Humanising Education of Children with Special Needs' [Kerala, India, February 5-6, 2015]," edited by Sankaranarayanan Paleeri. 152-155. Ottapalam: NSS Training College, 2015 (ISBN: 978-81-924412-1-4).]

As Provided

6

2016

ED563263