Child Development and Public Health…

This week, we are to choose a topic regarding child development and public health. I have chosen to discuss the mental health of the mother/father and how it effects the infant/child. This topic is important to me because when I was a Family Support Worker for Healthy Families, I had several clients that had some mental health concerns. As a home visitor (FSW) I was to go and provide information and activities that encouraged the parent-child interaction and review child development, along with providing community resource information. One very notable difference that was noted was whether the father of the child was involved and present, just involved in the rearing to a degree, or not present nor involved at all. This effected the mother’s state of mind. Then there were other mental health concerns, such as clients that had a confirmed diagnosis if depression, anxiety of even schizophrenia. The mothers were experiencing feelings of inadequacy, hate, anger and resentment, often towards the child, especially of the father was not present. Then if the parents are not following through with the community resources that you connect them with or are not taking their needed medications, the environment can become unsafe for the infant/child. i would pray at times before visiting a home, that they were all okay and willing to open that door one more time, week after week and use the information and activities provided to make a difference in the life of their child.