Women’s Health Matters is a monthly series presented by the MWO’s Women’s Health Task Force.
This month we shift our focus towards a role many of us share: mother or caregiver. As caregivers of children (of ALL ages), we spend a lot of time concerned about our their physical health – are they eating the right foods? Staying active? Protecting themselves? But how often do we take the same proactive approach to their mental health? This is particularly important now, as the mental health of our children has been called to the forefront more than ever in recent years.
1 in 6 children ages 2-8 years (17.4%) have a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder.
According to the CDC:
4% of children ages 2-17 years (approximately 6.1 million) are diagnosed with ADHD
4% of children ages 3-17 years (approximately 4.5 million) are diagnosed with a behavior problem (such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Conduct Disorder)
1% of children ages 3-17 years (approximately 4.4 million) are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder
2% of children ages 3-17 years (approximately 1.9 million) are diagnosed with depression
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) reports that 1 in 5 teenagers between 13-18 years old will experience at least one “severe mental disorder” during their life, as will roughly 13% of children ages 5-15 years.
Additionally, when we look to our own community we find that U.S. Muslims are two times more likely to have attempted suicide when compared with other religious groups, according to a study published in 2021. Researchers from that study attributed the high suicide attempt rate to two factors: religious discrimination and community stigma — both of which, they say, prevent Muslim American communities from seeking mental health services.
Join us along with our guest, Sana Lateef Imam from Bismillah Institute, to learn more about how to recognize and respond to ensure mental health safekeeping. This workshop takes place on Zoom. Advanced Registration is Required. Click below to sign up for Free.
For more information about this event or to get involved in our Women’s Health Task Force, email Alyssa@mwo-orlando.org