The steep increase in mental health challenges among young children is one of today’s most widely discussed issues. But why is so little attention paid to the role of family dynamics in creating or reducing stress for kids?

This week, Ian and Naomi are joined by Dr. Nicholas Zill, research psychologist and senior fellow at the Institute for Family Studies, to discuss his most recent report, “Families Matter to Kids’ Mental Health.” In the report, Dr. Zill analyzes data from the National Survey on Children’s Health to demonstrate how family structure affects not only the likelihood children will need mental health services, but also whether they will receive them. He points out a number of striking findings, including how foster children are the group most likely to be using medication to treat mental health problems. Dr. Zill emphasizes how understanding a child’s family structure is vital to treating their mental health, and how other methods of combatting mental illness beyond medication should be employed as well.

Resources

-Families Matter to Kids’ Mental Health | Nicholas Zill

-Why Foster Kids Aren’t Getting the Mental Health Care They Need | Naomi Schaefer Riley

Show Notes

-00:44 | Why does family structure get missed in the conversation about kids’ mental health?

-08:25 | Why does the gap between the need and receipt of mental health services come from? How can we close that gap?

-11:48 | How do we share this data without seeming like we are blaming families for their impact on a child’s mental health?

-13:08 | How do we make sure we are talking about the youth mental health crisis in an accurate, right-sized way?

-16:46 | Do younger generations having different attitudes toward marriage and forming families?

-18:29 | What is the good news on this issue?

-21:23 | How can we encourage reporting of data on family structure?