How can we improve children’s mental health to increase academic success?
In this episode, JoAnn Tomer discusses her experience as a mental health therapist and her work with children and horses as we focus on children’s mental health and its effects in the classroom.
According to the CDC in 2022 on the state of Children's Mental Health, ADHD, anxiety, depression, and behavior problems are the most commonly diagnosed mental disorders in children. About 3 in 10 children with ADHD had anxiety. Estimates among children aged 3-17 years, in 2016-19, were that approximately 6.0 million had ADHD, 5.8 million had Anxiety, 5.5 million had behavior problems, and 2.7 million suffer from Depression.
Add COVID into the mix since then, and these rates of depression and anxiety are increasing. It is a major concern that parents and educators are facing as it can lead to academic and behavior issues in the classroom. So what options are there to help?
Well, animals can offer an extraordinary amount of emotional support. Beyond the pet-owner relationship, animals are sometimes used in therapeutic settings. ADHD is an additional area where equine-assisted psychotherapy can be helpful.
The Journal for Creativity in Mental Health stated that introducing horses to the therapeutic process showed significantly increased positive behaviors while reducing negative behaviors. Studies shown that clients can experience a variety of benefits from equine-assisted psychotherapy and that clients feel that they've achieved something on their own, rather than being told to do something by a parent or teacher.
So here is the call to action: Equine-assisted mental health therapy has a proven track record of use and success since Ancient Greece. So, if you're a parent looking for alternatives to help your child with ADHD, anxiety, or depression I highly recommend finding one in your area.
Equine-assisted psychotherapy available at http://www.horsepowerforhealing.net
