Abstract
Mental health problems in early childhood (e.g., depression, anxiety) have a similar prevalence as for older individuals, with 10–15% of preschoolers meeting criteria for clinical diagnosis. Research has shown that intervention to support mental health in early childhood is important to mitigate later problems. However, early intervention is predicated on early identification; by the time young children encounter specialists (e.g., psychologists), problems are often severe. Early childhood educators have the potential to identify mental health concerns in young children. Yet, little is known about early childhood educators’ understanding of early childhood mental health, necessitating pilot research. The present study used focus groups to better understand early educator’s perceptions of young children’s mental health. Participants identified four primary themes that guide their understanding: causes of mental health problems, observable signs of mental health problems, knowledge of mental health supports, and barriers to mental health supports. Implications and suggested future directions are also explored.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Askell-Williams, H., & Murray-Harvey, R. (2013). Did that professional education about mental health promotion make any difference? Early childhood educators’ reflections upon changes in their knowledge and practice. Australian Journal of Guidance and Counselling, 23(2), 201–221.
Blewitt, C., O’Connor, A., Morris, H., Nolan, A., Mousa, A., Green, R., Ifanti, A., Jackson, K., & Skourteris, H. (2021). It’s embedded in what we do for every child: A qualitative exploration of early childhood educators’ perspectives on supporting children’s social and emotional learning. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18041530
Briggs-Gowan, M. J., Carter, A. S., Bosson-Heenan, J. B. A., Guyer, A. E., & Horwitz, S. M. (2006). Are infant-toddler social-emotional and behavioral problems transient? Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 45(7), 849–858. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.chi.0000220849.48650.59
Burns, B. J., Phillips, S. D., Wagner, H. R., Barth, R. P., Kolko, D. J., Campbell, Y., & Landsverk, J. (2004). Mental health need and access to mental health services by youths involved in child welfare: A national survey. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 43(8), 960–970. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.chi.0000127590.95585.65
Center on the Developing Child (2013). Early Childhood Mental Health (InBrief). Retrieved from www.developingchild.harvard.edu.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018). Children’s mental health. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/basics.html
Colorado Department of Public Education (2020). Early childhood teacher certification. http://coloradoofficeofearlychildhood.force.com/oec/OEC_Providers?p=Providers&s=Early-Childhood-Teacher-Certification&lang=en
Davis, E., Corr, L., Cook, K., Harrison, L., Herman, H., Sims, M., Mackinnon, A, Mihalopoulos, C., Marshall, B., Ummer-Christian, R., Gilson, K.M., & Waters, E. (2014). Family day care educators’ knowledge, confidence, and skills in promoting children’s social and emotional wellbeing: Baseline data from Thrive. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 39(3).
Desta, M., Deyessa, N., Fish, I., Maxwell, B., Zerihun, T., Levine, S., Fox, C., Geidd, J., Zelleke, T. G., Alem, A., & Garland, A. F. (2017). Empowering preschool teachers to identify mental health problems: A task sharing intervention in Ethiopia. Mind, Brain, and Education, 11(1), 32–42. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12135
Dodge, K. (2018). Toward population impact from early childhood psychological interventions. American Psychologist, 73(9), 1117–1129. https://doi.org/10.1037/amp0000393
Duran, F., Hepburn, K., Irvine, M., Kaufmann, R., Anthony, B., Horen, N., Perry, D. (2009). What Works? A Study of Effective Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Programs. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development. https://gucchd.georgetown.edu/
Egger, H., & Angold, A. (2006). Common emotional and behavioral disorders in preschool children: Presentation, nosology, and epidemiology. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 47, 313–337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2.2006.01618.x
Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4.
Farrell, P. & Travers, T. (2005). A healthy start: Mental health promotion in early childhood settings. Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 4(2).
Giannakoploulos, G., Eirini, A., Dimitrakaki, C., Oikonomidou, D., Petanidou, D., Tsermidou, L., Kolaitis, G., Tountas, Y., & Papadopoulou, K. (2014). Early childhood educators’ perceptions of preschoolers’ mental health problems. Annals of General Psychiatry, 13(1), http://www.annals-general-psychiatry.com/content/13/1/1
Glaser, B. G. (1965). The constant comparative method of qualitative analysis. Social Problems, 12(4), 436–445.
Glaser, B., & Strauss, A. (1967). The discovery of grounded theory. Adline.
Gudmundsson, O. O., Magnusson, P., Saemundsen, E., Lauth, B., Baldursson, G., Skarphedinsson, G., & Fombonne, E. (2013). Psychiatric disorders in an urban sample of preschool children. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 18(4), 210–217. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-3588.2012.00675.x
Hutchinson, S. A. (1986). Education and grounded theory. Journal of Thought, 50–68.
Isaksson, P., Marklund, B., & Heraldsson, K. (2017). Promoting mental health in Swedish preschool-teacher views. Health Promotion International, 32, 53–61. https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/dat084
Krueger, R., Casey, A., & Anne, M. (2009). Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research (4th ed.). Sage.
Krueger, R.A. (2002). Designing and conducting focus group interviews. Retrieved from: https://www.eiu.edu/ihec/Krueger-FocusGroupInterviews.pdf
Landis, J. R., & Koch, G. G. (1977). The measurement of observer agreement for categorical data. Biometrics. https://doi.org/10.2307/2529310
Lee, J. Y. (2014). Predictors of teachers’ intention to refer students with ADHD to mental health professionals: Comparison of US and South Korea. School Psychology Quarterly, 29, 385–394. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000046
Lessard, L. M., Wilkins, K., Rose-Malm, J., & Mazzocchi, M. C. (2020). The health status of early care and education workforce in the USA: A scoping review of the evidence and current practice. Public Health Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40985-019-0117-z
Luby, J. L., Gaffrey, M. S., Tillman, R., April, L. M., & Belden, A. C. (2014). Trajectories of preschool disorders to full DSM depression at school age and early adolescence: Continuity of preschool depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(7), 768–776. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2014.13091198
Merriam-Webster (2021). Retrieved from: https://www.merriam-webster.com/
Oh, E., & Bayer, J. K. (2015). Parents’ help-seeking processes for early childhood mental health problems. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 20(3), 149–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12081
Ozonoff, S. (2015). Editorial: Early detection of mental health and neurodevelopmental disorders: The ethical challenges of a field in its infancy. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 56(9), 933–935. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12452
Parker, A., & Tritter, J. (2006). Focus group method and methodology: Current practice and recent debate. International Journal of Research and Method in Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/01406720500537304
Priddis, L. E., Matacz, R., & Watherston, D. (2015). Building a workforce competency-based training program in infant/early childhood mental health. Infant Mental Health Journal, 36(6), 623–631. https://doi.org/10.1002/imhj.21535
Reinke, W. M., Stormont, M., Herman, K. C., Puri, R., & Goel, N. (2011). Supporting children’s mental health in schools: Teacher perceptions of needs, roles, and barriers. School Psychology Quarterly, 26(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022714
Shonkoff, J.P. & Phillips, D.A. (2000). From neurons to neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development. National Academy Press.
Sims, M., Davis, E., Davies, B., Nicholson, J., Harrison, L., Herrman, H., Waters, E., Marshall, B., Cook, K., & Priest, N. (2012). Mental health promotion in childcare centres: Childcare educators’ understanding of child and parental mental health. Advances in Mental Health, 10(2), 138–148.
Shulamit, R. N., HOkoda, A., & VanLiew, C. (2017). Investing in the early childhood mental health workforce development: Enhancing professionals’ competencies to support emotion and behavior regulation in young children. Brain Sciences. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci7090120
Trigg, A.B. & Keyes, A.W. (2019). Child care and early education as contexts for infant mental health. In C.H. Zeanah (Ed). Handbook of Infant Mental Health (4th ed., pp 5–24). Guilford Press.
U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2016). 2010 Rural-Urban Commuting Area (RUCA) Codes.
Urquhart, C. (2012). Grounded theory for qualitative research: A practical guide. Sage.
Walter, A. W., Yuan, Y., Morocho, C., & Thekkedath, R. (2018). Facilitators and barriers to family engagement and retention of young children in mental health care: A qualitative study of caregivers’ perspectives. Social Work in Mental Health, 17(2), 173–196. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332985.2018.1517402
Woodward, L. J., Lu, Z., Morris, A. R., & Healey, D. M. (2017). Preschool self regulation predicts later mental health and educational achievement in very preterm and typically developing children. The Clinical Neuropsychologist, 31(2), 404–422.
World Health Organization (2010). Mental health: strengthening mental health promotion. Geneva, Switzerland: Author.
Zeanah, C.H. & Zeanah, P.D. (2019). Infant Mental Health: The clinical science of early experience. In C.H. Zeanah (Ed). Handbook of Infant Mental Health (4th ed., pp 5–24). Guilford Press.
Funding
This project was supported by the Office of Research Support at the University of Colorado Denver.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Ethics declarations
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that they have no known conflicts of interest.
Ethics approval
Ethics approval was granted by the Colorado Multiple Institutional Review Board (COMIRB).
Consent to participate
All participants were informed about the purpose of this research and their corresponding rights. All participants signed a consent form prior to participation in the present research.
Consent for publication
Participants were informed of the potential for data publication as part of the consent process.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stein, R., Russell, C.E. Educator Perspectives of Early Childhood Mental Health: A Qualitative Study in Colorado. School Mental Health 13, 845–855 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-021-09454-6
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12310-021-09454-6