Social-emotional development is a child’s increasing ability to experience and regulate emotions, form close and secure relationships, and explore the environment and learn.  Healthy social and emotional development forms the foundation for understanding oneself as well as others, and is an important building block for later ability to learn.  Positive early relationships and attachments to a primary caregiver are critical to the social and emotional development of young children.  Successful programs that promote mental health in young children focus on parent mental health and the needs of the entire family.  Estimates of national prevalence rates of young children with psychosocial problems are between 10% and 21%. Rates of young children who outwardly display aggression, delinquency or hyperactivity can be as high as 25%.  Risk factors include poverty, repeated exposure to violence, persistent fear and stress, abuse and neglect, severe chronic maternal depression, biological factors such as prematurity and low birth weight, and conditions associated with prenatal substance abuse.  As a broader topic, it has implications for families, communities, early care and education, and health care. 

Doctors' Advocacy:

• Docs serve as important facilitators by being knowledgeable about community services, programs, and interventions available for young children with challenging behavior, and by educating others about these as well

• Docs can collaborate with existing early childhood providers and programs to coordinate early childhood mental health services for at-risk families in their communities

• Docs can advocate for expanding early childhood mental health services, including training for early childhood professionals, and they can coordinate with mental health providers either through an in-house capacity by having a mental health provider in the office or readily available as a consultant

• Docs can advocate for increased maternal mental health screening, particularly for maternal depression, in order to improve parents’ ability to take care of and engage their young children