Skip to main content

Supporting Children’s Emotional Wellness

New Content for School-Age Staff

For school-age children, doing well in school, sustaining friendships, and conflicts with siblings are a few common examples of normal life stressors. Some school-age children have more serious concerns and may be depressed or suicidal. Child care staff should recognize when a child or youth’s mental health needs are beyond what is typical and professional help is needed. New content in the “Do” section of Lesson Three in the Healthy Environments course provides information on suicide risk factors, warning signs, and how to respond when a child or youth has suicidal thoughts. For further reading, see the References & Resources section for newly added information from  Boston Children’s Hospital, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, and The Center for Suicide Research and Prevention at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.