Nelba Márquez-Greene’s family experienced a high-profile trauma when her daughter, Ana, was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. But before that, she understood trauma as a mental health professional. She says we need to do a better job of recognizing and responding when children need help.
From providing mental health care at the supermarket to training pediatricians in infant mental health, some in health care and social services are trying to apply the lessons of brain science and development to prevent problems that can threaten children’s health and well-being.
Project: Changing courses — Part 2
Science suggests that having a secure relationship with a caregiver can help protect a child’s brain and body from the effects of adversity. A Connecticut program for very young children who have experienced trauma or other challenges has gotten results by focusing on that relationship.
Research has linked exposure to abuse, neglect and other forms of severe adversity in childhood to a wide range of mental and physical diseases and disorders. Can understanding this make a profound change in the way we prevent illness?