the importance of EMOTIONAL WELLNESS FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH

Each day Caroline would pull out a workbook and a brush, and paint how she was feeling. Blue was sad, red was anger, yellow and green were joy. “Almost every day I painted green or yellow because I felt happy to share with many people,” she says.

It’s all part of Children International’s Emotional Well-Being program, designed to give children and youth the tools they need to recognize their emotions and protect their mental health. By identifying the emotions she’s feeling, Caroline can take the proper steps to deal with them.

Mental health is health, requiring treatment just as urgently as physical ailments. Vulnerable populations are heavily affected. The stress of a hostile environment, domestic violence, lack of food, and simply the exhaustion of day-to-day labor can cause or worsen mental health, especially anxiety and depression.

Emotional wellness is a critical component of a healthy, fulfilling life. Through this program, effective tools and information are provided to children, youth and families that help them manage psychological adversity, achieve emotional well-being and be positive agents of change in their communities.

Watch the video to meet Caroline and her Wellness Officer, Jonathan Mendoza. “One of the most important themes that we have is self-care, expressing their emotions, and when they can be creative and use that creativity for the good,” Jonathan explains.

Source: World Health Organization