riskfactorprevention

                  Children & Adolescents Overview of
                       Risk Factors & Prevention

Risk Factors

- Epidemiological research on the factors that influence mental illness in
   children must be conducted to develop programs for prevention and
   treatment.
- Research has shown that both adverse psychosocial experiences during
   childhood and biological factors influence mental disorders of childhood.
- The roots of most mental disorders are a combination of genetic and
   environmental factors.

Biological Risk Factors

- Research has shown that biological factors play a large role in influencing
   many mental disorders; pervasive developmental disorders, autism, early
   onset schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, tourette�s disorder,
   bipolar disorder, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
- Biological factors of mental disorders are not always caused by genetics.
   Biological abnormalities of the central nervous system can be caused by
   injury.
- Biological and environmental factors interact with each other.

Psychosocial Risk Factors

- Several environmental factors can endanger a child�s mental health.
   Factors include: dysfunctional family life, parental conflict, parent�s
   psychopathology, parental criminal acts, economic hardship, exposure to
   violence, poor relationship between infant/children and their primary
   caregiver, and poor caregiving of parents.
- These factors can cause various disorders; conduct disorder or antisocial
   personality disorder, stress-related mental illness, depression, and
   insecure attachment.
- Children of depressed parents are more likely to experience a depressive
   disorder that children of non- depressed parents.
- The relationship between stressful life events and risk for childhood
   mental disorders has been well established.
- Child abuse has been associated with various disorders.

Prevention

- Research has shown that prevention efforts during childhood can be
   successful in preventing mental disorders.
- It is crucial to intervene in children�s lives early to prevent mental
   disorders.
- Prevention has been made a priority by policy makers, human service
   providers, law enforcement officials, educators, medical health
   professionals, and mental health professionals.
- These professionals have become committed to early
   intervention/prevention in children and adolescent�s lives for two reasons;
   mental health has been linked to general health, childcare, educational
   success and inclusion in the juvenile justice system. All services should
   work together to meet the diverse areas and needs for children and
   adolescents; and prevention has been shown to be cost effective.
- Interventions focus on prevention of onset, risk reduction, and early
   intervention.