UM Psychology Community Talk: Enhancing Well-Being in School-aged Children

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS, 2017) reports that 1 in 5 children living in Michigan experiences a mental health problem and many do not get the services that they need to assist them. Government officials recently stated the need as “critically important” (MDHHS, 2017). Costs to individuals and to society are very high. For example, children with anxiety disorders are found to have poorer academic achievement, more interpersonal and social problems, and substance abuse relative to those without anxiety disorders. Further they are 3-5 times more likely to have doctor’s visits and 6 times more likely to be hospitalized than children without such anxiety. Research shows that childhood depression is a risk factor for trouble in school, social withdrawal, sleep problems, aggression, and feeling hopeless. Children with depression are at high risk for suicide in adolescence. It is important to note that many more children are prodromal – that is, they may have some signs of adjustment problems but have not yet reached the threshold of receiving a diagnosis – or are simply undiagnosed. Yet research studies show that children’s mental health problems are amenable to treatment. Clearly, more affordable and available services are necessary to meet this need, for without help, there is no doubt that the optimal development of children with such problems will be diminished. Further, we know that all children - even those without adjustment problems - can benefit from programs that enhance their coping skills, boost their self-esteem and empower them to be better at identifying and solving problems. This presentation describes a program designed to enhance the well-being of all school-aged children, whether they have symptoms of adjustment problem or not. There is incontrovertible evidence from research studies that children who are more able to manage their emotions and to use proven strategies to reduce stress and solve problems, have healthier lives, greater academic success, better mental health, and more satisfying social relationships. This presentation shows how the Kids’ Empowerment Program (KEP) is built on best practices that are derived from research studies and from the results of the successful Kids’ Club Program for children exposed to violence.

Sandra Graham-Bermann, Ph.D., is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Michigan. As director of the Child Violence and Trauma Lab she studies resilient coping, and the behavioral and emotional adjustment of women and children, as well as interventions designed to assist them. Over 30 years she has developed measures of children’s fears and worries, traumatic stress, attitudes and beliefs about violence, family stereotyping, and conflict in sibling relationships. In addition to longitudinal studies of Head Start preschool children she has designed and evaluated interventions for women and children exposed to violence using randomized control trials. These interventions have been adapted for use with Spanish speaking women and children, Alaska Native and Alaskan Indian women and children, and Swedish families who experience intimate partner violence. With great support for their effectiveness in advancing well-being and reducing psychopathology, the programs are now used in 38 states and four countries. A fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), she serves on 4 journal editorial boards and is author of 125 peer-reviewed publications and 3 edited volumes. Dr. Graham-Bermann received the APA Florence Halpern Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Clinical Psychology, the APA Nicholas Hobbs Award for outstanding research contributions, as well as an honorary doctorate from the School of Law, Psychology and Social Work, at Örebro University in Sweden. Her current research is focused on enhancing the well-being of all school-aged children.