Consequences of Stress on Children's Development

Chaos in the neighborhood
When I was about eight years old a family moved onto our street that had five children, a mom, and a dad. My brother and I played with the kids everyday after school. If I remember correctly they were all boys. We lived in an area where we were surrounded by woods and a state mental hospital, which made exploration very interesting. One cold, gray afternoon we were startled by a pounding on the front door. It was the dad of the five kids who lived up the street. He had the kids in the car. My mom invited him in and he started crying saying that his wife had left him. I think it was the first time I had ever seen a grown man cry. The kids in the car looked shell shocked. The mom had run away and left them. The mom never returned and the family imploded. The dad started drinking and couldn't take care of the kids. The children were placed in the orphanage (yes, we had one in the town I grew up in). We still saw the kids in school, but they were never the same. If I remember correctly, the older boy was returned home and the dad had a girlfriend that moved into the home. I heard that the other kids got into trouble and then they moved away. I often wonder what happened to them.
Childhood Poverty in India
I chose to learn more about how poverty impacts the lives of the children in India. I read a book about poverty in India several years ago and the book opened my eyes to the daily struggles of people in India. Life for children in India is very hard. Almost half of all children under the age of five are malnourished. There are inequalities in child well being based on gender, class, and caste. Despite the efforts of society and government, the cycle of disadvantage begins at birth and continues throughout childhood to adulthood and even into the next generation.
In recent years India's anti poverty programs have been subject to reform to ensure better targeting and coverage. Rural poverty continues because of lack of access to skills, health, and education. Despite the recent economic growth poverty numbers remain high. The enrollment of primary school-aged children rose from 68% to 82%. India still accounts for 20% of the world's out of school children. It has the largest numbers of working children in the world, with nearly a third of children below 16 years working.
References:
World Deevelopment Indicators Database, April 2003
World Bank, 2000, India-Reducing Poverty, Accelerating Development
UNICEF Country Statistics: India

Public Health Topic

I chose to learn more about  the mental health of mothers' and fathers' and the effect on children's development. I have a student this year who has been diagnosed with depression at the age of seven. His mother suffers from depression and bipolar disorder. I have another student who is being neglected because his mother is depressed from a volatile divorce and the subsequent loss of her home to foreclosure. It is very hard and disturbing to see such young children with a heavy burden to bear.
From my research I have discovered that a father in better mental health may buffer the influence of a mother's poorer mental health. Maternal depression is known to have a broad influence on a child's health and well-being. Children of mother's who are depressed or who have depressive symptoms are at increased risk for developmental delay, behavior problems, depression and injuries. Depressed mothers are less likely to to engage in preventive parenting practices and are more likely to use child health care services. A father may help to reduce the adverse effects of maternal depression child health by increasing his role as caretaker. If both parents are in poor mental health , the child may be at high risk for poor outcomes (J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2001;42:381-394).
I found a very interesting article about the prevalence of potential psychological disorder among fathers in New Zealand during their child's first six years of life. The associated financial, psychological and physical strain placed upon fathers trying to balance work and family can have an adverse impact on family life. The World Health Organization has realized the importance of research and their behaviors to improve mental outcomes among young children. Pacific peoples experience higher rates of mental illness than New Zealanders. This study found that employment and mental health were linked and that employment helps mental illness suffers in their recovery and decreases their dependence on services. Interestingly enough, discrimination in New Zealand was cited as a barrier to employment more than any other factor. Pacific approaches and understandings of mental illness differ from western perspectives, and some Pacific ethnic groups describe mental illness that are unique to their own particular culture.
Pacific Health Dialog Vol 15. No. 1. 2009

Welcome to my blog Early Childhood Development colleagues!
"Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it."
Marian Wright Edelman