1 Unlocking the Mysteries of Children’s Mental Health An Introduction for Future Teachers

2 Prepared by the Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health for the Minnesota Department of Education

3 Childhood Mental Illness All children go through rough times at school, with friends, or in their families Most common problems, such as sadness after a family move, clear up with time and maturity Consider three things if you suspect a student may be experiencing an emotional problem: –Frequency: how often does the student exhibit the symptoms? –Duration: how long do they last? –Intensity: how severe are the symptoms?

4 Childhood Mental Illness Behaviors or moods that: –Are no longer age-appropriate –Are much more dramatic than in peers –Continue for longer than usual should alert adults to investigate the possibility of a mental health (emotional or behavioral) disorder

5 On Any Given Day… Three million American children meet the clinical criteria for mood disorders 21% of children and adolescents have a behavioral, emotional, or mental health problem One out of every 20 Minnesota children is identified with Severe Emotional Disturbance Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages in Minnesota. The overall suicide rate is double the homicide rate in the state

6 Mental Illness Can Be Treated Children spend over half their waking hours in school - this makes teachers front line assistants in recognizing and assisting treatment Best practice includes therapy, possibly medication, and consistent behavioral support across settings (home, school, community) Every child with emotional or behavioral challenges has a possibility to succeed in life

7 Mental Health Disorders May Be Difficult to Recognize Mental health disorders emerge during ongoing development and at times may look like misbehavior but are NOT the same Disorders in infancy, childhood, and adolescence may not have the same symptoms as in adulthood

8 Early Intervention Can… Minimize effects on child and family Lessen duration & severity of symptoms Lessen disruption of normal development Increase academic success Increase social success Reduce risk of legal system involvement Reduce risk of family disruption and abuse YOU are a key factor in early intervention

9 Lecture 1 The Normal Brain and the Disordered Brain

10 Focus: The structure and function of the normal brain Mental health disorders as brain disorders The brain and learning

11 “I think educators ought to be interested in the brain because they teach brains! If you’re a classroom teacher, you’ve got about 30 of them in your room and I can’t imagine somebody who would teach a room full of brains who wouldn’t be interested in brains…If you’re involved in the development and maintenance of a brain, you need a kind of knowledge that is more than folklore knowledge.” Robert Sylwester

12 Major Brain Structures The brain is divided into several portions or “lobes,” each with a specific function

13 Major Brain Structures Frontal Lobe Judgment Planning Creativity Organization Many Mental Health disorders involve problems in the frontal lobe

14 Major Brain Structures Parietal Lobe Reception of sensory information Sends messages to the limbs

15 Major Brain Structures Temporal Lobe Hearing Memory Meaning Language

16 Major Brain Structures Occipital Lobe Vision

17 Major Brain Structures Cerebellum Balance Long-term memory Motor movement

18 Cross Section of the Brain Outer Cortex Sensory input Motor movement

19 Cross Section of the Brain Brain Stem Unconscious functions –Breathing –Digestion –Heartbeat

20 Cross Section of the Brain Corpus Callosum Bridges right and left brain

21 Cross Section of the Brain Hippocampus Memory

22 Cross Section of the Brain Cingulate Gyrus Arousal

23 Cross Section of the Brain Basal Ganglia Involuntary movement

24 Cross Section of the Brain Amygdala Fear and arousal regulator

25 Basic Brain Structures: Nerve Cells Nerve cells - your brain has more connections than stars in the universe: 100 billion Require a steady supply of glucose & oxygen -- depressed or actually destroyed by alcohol, drugs, nicotine, caffeine, some medications, sleep deprivation, stress, lack of use, lack of intimacy

26 Synapses & Neurotransmitters Electrical charges travel from cell body to tip of axon Tip releases chemical neurotransmitters which bridge the synapse to the receptor sites on the dendrite of another neuron This is the process of all learning!

27 Prefrontal Cortex: Attention, Judgment, Emotions Functions –Attention span –Perseverance –Planning –Judgment –Impulse control –Organization –Self-monitoring –Problem solving –Critical thinking –Forward thinking –Learning from experience & mistakes –Ability to feel and express emotions –Influences limbic system –Empathy –Internal supervision

28 Problems –Distractibility –Lack of perseverance –Lack of impulse control –Hyperactivity –Chronic lateness –Poor organization –Procrastination –Unavailability of emotions –Poor judgment –Trouble learning from experience –Short term memory problems –Social & test anxiety –Lying, confabulation –Misperceptions Prefrontal Cortex: Attention, Judgment, Emotions

29 Basal Ganglia: Movement, Emotions, Motivation Functions –Integrates feelings and movements –Refines fine motor movements –Suppresses unwanted movements –Sets anxiety level –Enhances motivation –Pleasure Problems –Anxiety, panic –Negative thinking –Conflict avoidance –Muscle tension –Tremors, tics –Fine motor problems –Headaches –Low or excessive motivation

30 Recent Brain Based Research New developments in brain research allow for clear visualization of normal and disordered brains, at rest and at work –CAT scan –MRI scan –PET scan –SPECT scan

31 Neurobiological Disorders Because of this new understanding, many new terms have been developed and promoted as more accurate than mental illness: –Neurobiological disorders –Brain or Bio-brain disorders –Neurobehavioral disorders –Neuropsychiatric disorders

32 What are We Talking About? The latest research shows that mental illnesses often derive from brain malformations or malfunctioning Disruption of brain development, causing emotional or behavioral symptoms can be caused by: –Prenatal or early exposure to toxins –Situational crises –Chronic stress and anxiety –Malnutrition –Disease –A combination of these factors

33 Risk Factors Many brain disorders cluster in families, showing a genetic component or predisposition Some symptoms relate to damage due to injury, infection, poor nutrition, or exposure to toxins Stressful life events, malnutrition, childhood maltreatment, and aggression may lead to short or long-term symptoms and increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes Research shows both biological and psychosocial factors influence the development of the brain, and brain disorders

34 The Brain at Work = Learning What Helps –Safe environment –Meaningful tasks –Timely feedback –Varied input What Hinders –Anxiety –Distraction, aversion –Brain disorders