In Brief: Early Childhood Mental Health

Science tells us that the foundations of sound mental health are built early in life. Early experiencesincluding childrens relationships with parents, caregivers, relatives, teachers, and peersinteract with genes to shape the architecture of the developing brain. Disruptions in this developmental process can impair a childs capacities for learning and relating to others, with lifelong implications. This edition of the InBrief series explains how improving childrens environments of relationships and experiences early in life can prevent initial difficulties from destabilizing later development and mental health. The 5minute video provides an overview of Establishing a Level Foundation for Life: Mental Health Begins in Early Childhood, a working paper by the National Scientific Council on the Developing Child. Read more: For more information on the Center on the Developing Child, please visit: http:,