Addressing Mental Health in Early Childhood: How ‘My Friend’ is Helping to Fill the Gap
October 26, 2023
A powerful article entitled Mental health help for under-fives overlooked by Health reporter Smitha Mundasad for the BBC on Saturday 21 October 2023 –
“There is evidence that intervening very early on may help stop conditions arising or worsening”
More support is needed to prevent babies and young children developing mental health problems in later life, leading doctors say.
Their report shows there is growing evidence that intervening very early on – from conception to the age of five – may help stop conditions arising or worsening. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for more specialist services.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ report suggests half of mental health conditions arise by the age of 14, and many start to develop in the first years of life, making early action “vital”. Dr Trudi Seneviratne, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), said the majority of under-fives with mental health conditions were not receiving the level of support needed “to help them become productive, functioning adults and reach their full potential”.
Joanna Moody, from Unicef UK, said: “Mental health in infancy and early childhood is often overlooked, yet it lays the foundations for a child’s future.”
https://lnkd.in/eT-pi8r6
The importance of early years and the insufficient support available in the area of mental wellbeing has led us to look at how we can make a difference.
The My Friend AI platform through our conversational avatar enables meaningful friendships in a safe and secure environment for children; to support them, their parents and school as they journey through life’s challenging moments. My Friend will identify any dialogue that raises concern for further attention or investigation so that worries, big or small, can be supported quickly. With a greater and more consistent care systems we will enable our children to have a better start, leading to better futures with far reaching benefits across society.
Our CEO Stephen Sharp outlined our vision “Our mission is to support children through life’s challenging moments to enable them to have a better future.”
Follow our journey as we make this a reality with ‘My Friend’.
“There is evidence that intervening very early on may help stop conditions arising or worsening”
More support is needed to prevent babies and young children developing mental health problems in later life, leading doctors say.
Their report shows there is growing evidence that intervening very early on – from conception to the age of five – may help stop conditions arising or worsening. The Royal College of Psychiatrists is calling for more specialist services.
The Royal College of Psychiatrists’ report suggests half of mental health conditions arise by the age of 14, and many start to develop in the first years of life, making early action “vital”. Dr Trudi Seneviratne, from the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RCPsych), said the majority of under-fives with mental health conditions were not receiving the level of support needed “to help them become productive, functioning adults and reach their full potential”.
Joanna Moody, from Unicef UK, said: “Mental health in infancy and early childhood is often overlooked, yet it lays the foundations for a child’s future.”
https://lnkd.in/eT-pi8r6
The importance of early years and the insufficient support available in the area of mental wellbeing has led us to look at how we can make a difference.
The My Friend AI platform through our conversational avatar enables meaningful friendships in a safe and secure environment for children; to support them, their parents and school as they journey through life’s challenging moments. My Friend will identify any dialogue that raises concern for further attention or investigation so that worries, big or small, can be supported quickly. With a greater and more consistent care systems we will enable our children to have a better start, leading to better futures with far reaching benefits across society.
Our CEO Stephen Sharp outlined our vision “Our mission is to support children through life’s challenging moments to enable them to have a better future.”
Follow our journey as we make this a reality with ‘My Friend’.
