Son_of_Belgarath t1_j0gq870 wrote on December 16, 2022 at 2:58 PM

Hi Dr Maddox! I found out very recently I have been dissociating for large spells of my life as a defence mechanism from when I used to get in trouble at school. Have you read or heard anything about future improvements to the assessment of mental health for children/young adults?

I feel I’ve missed out on lots of my life and that my memories aren’t my own because I was left to create negative coping mechanisms. It would be great to hear of any plans to prevent this happening as much for people because it can have major impacts on their adult relationships & career.

UniversityofBath OP t1_j0yhban wrote on December 20, 2022 at 10:15 AM

Hi! Firstly, I am really sorry that you've had this experience. I hope you've got good support around you now. It's really difficult to feel like you've missed out on a lot. I hope you have found someone to talk to about the negative coping mechanisms you mention too - to help with finding and practising alternatives.

In terms of improvements to assessment of mental health in children now - it depends which country you are in as to what is available, but in the UK there is a new initiative to bring mental health workers into schools with a new type of worker (educational mental health practitioners). Historically sometimes clinical psychologists or counsellors were embedded in schools but funding for this dwindled and the new EMHPs are a response to try to get to students earlier if they are having problems. It has only just started so it's too soon to say how it's going but I think the idea of getting in early is a good one. There are also some fab research projects looking at early intervention, for example CUES: https://cues-ed.co.uk/what-we-do/

Son_of_Belgarath t1_j12y7xd wrote on December 21, 2022 at 7:36 AM

Thanks for the info! 2nd part to the question if you don’t mind, do you think there is a risk if children are put through therapy too early and latch onto a diagnosis such as dyslexia and then not try to push themselves because they feel they have a condition stopping them?