Nurs 6541: Primary Care of Adolescents And Children

Discussion: Promoting Good Self-Perception, Positive Behavior, and Mental Wellness

Growth and development issues have a tremendous impact on self-perception, behavior, and mental wellness in pediatric patients. It is important for children to have a realistic perception of where they are in terms of growth and development to function socially and to have good overall health. A negative self-perception may cause children to develop behavioral and mental health issues or may make existing issues less manageable. In your role as the provider, you must promote good self-perception, positive behavior, and mental wellness in children. You must also support parents by offering strategies that will help their children understand themselves and grow into happy, healthy young adults.
To prepare:
Review this week’s media presentation, as well as “Self-Perception Issues” and “Coping and Stress Tolerance: Mental Health and Illness” in the Burns et al. text and the American Academy of Pediatrics article in the Learning Resources.
Select one of the following age groups: infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age children, or adolescents.
Select one self-perception, one behavior, and one mental health issue common among members of this age group.
Consider strategies for mitigating each issue that promote good self-perception, positive behavior, and mental wellness in the age group you selected. Reflect on how you might educate parents on implementing these strategies with their children.
Think about resources that you can recommend to parents for additional education and/or support.
urns, C. E., Dunn, A. M., Brady, M. A., Starr, N. B., Blosser, C. G., & Garzon, D. L. (Eds.). (2017). Pediatric primary care (6th ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier.

Chapter 18, “Self-Perception Issues” (pp. 339-354)
This chapter describes normal patterns of self-perception and methods for assessing and managing healthy self-perception in children.

Chapter 19, “Coping and Stress Tolerance: Mental Health and Illness” (pp. 355-385)
This chapter explores mental health in primary care. It also examines strategies for assessing and managing mental health disorders such as mood disorders, ADHD, eating disorders, and substance abuse.
Hagan, J. F., Jr., Shaw, J. S., Duncan, P. M. (Eds.). (2008). Bright futures: Guidelines for health supervision of infants, children, and adolescents (3rd ed.). Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.

“Promoting Mental Health” (pp. 77–107)
This chapter focuses on promoting mental health and emotional well-being among children and adolescents. It identifies factors that impact mental health as well as strategies for assessing mental health in pediatric patients.
Jonovich, S. J., & Alpert-Gillis, L. J. (2014). Impact of pediatric mental health screening on clinical discussion and referral for services. Clinical Pediatrics, 53(4), 364-371.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library databases.
Rockhill, C., Kodish, I., DiBattisto, C., Macias, M., Varley, C., & Ryan, S. (2010). Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, 40(4), 66–99.
Note: Retrieved from the Walden Library Databases.

This article explores the epidemiology, clinical presentation, assessment, and diagnosis of anxiety disorders in pediatric patients. It also examines treatment and management strategies, including resources for patients and their families and pharmacological interventions.
American Academy of Pediatrics, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and Family Health and Task Force on Mental Health. (2009). The future of pediatrics: Mental health competencies for pediatric primary care. Pediatrics, 124(1), 410–421. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/1/410.full.pdf+html?sid=b8a3f390-00f6-472c-a9ed-a8dc1c650ed3

This article describes skills, knowledge, and attitudes required by primary care clinicians to address and prevent mental health issues among children and adolescents in the United States. It also provides recommendations for maintaining a partnership with patients, caregivers, and families to ensure the well-being of children and adolescents.