What does children’s mental health standards include?

At present, there is no unified standard that is universally applicable in the field of domestic children's psychology. Most of the front-line workers in clinical and education make comprehensive judgments from the three dimensions of "adaptation to the rules of age development, adaptation to the rules of the environment, and adaptation to one's own emotional feelings." They will not label children as "mentally unhealthy" based on a certain behavior alone.

The academic world actually has different tendencies towards judgment criteria: scholars who are more oriented toward educational applications place more emphasis on the integrity of social functions and believe that as long as children can complete their studies normally, maintain positive interactions with their peers, and abide by the basic rules of the public environment, they fall into the category of mental health.； Scholars who prefer clinical intervention will pay more attention to the inner feelings of children. Some children who seem particularly "sensible" and fully meet the expectations of adults, even if they do not show any behavioral problems, as long as they suppress their own needs for a long time and dare not express negative emotions, are also in a sub-mental health state that needs attention.

Don't tell me, I met the parent of a second-grade girl last week. She boasted that her child was "extremely worry-free". She always sat upright in class and didn't need to be pushed to do her homework. Even if she wanted a new cartoon eraser, she had to ask her parents first, "Can I get this as a reward next time I take the double hundred test?" She never behaved like other children and rolled around asking for things. As a result, when doing a sandbox assessment for the child, I discovered that her sandbox was full of images of "good kids" and "good students". She didn't even dare to put a monster representing negative emotions, saying, "Mom will say I'm not good if I let it go." This seemingly perfect performance actually hid the hidden danger of emotional depression.

Of course, this does not mean that it is healthy for children to lose their temper at will. I once met a fourth-grade boy who hit his classmates at every turn. When asked why, he said confidently, "I have to express my anger, otherwise I feel uncomfortable." This kind of emotional expression has seriously affected normal social interaction and violated the basic rules of the environment. This is a problem that requires intervention and adjustment.

In fact, the easiest pitfall for many parents is to apply a single standard to all children. For example, if someone's child is generous and loves to say hello, their introverted child will be said to have "personality problems."”； Other people's children can sit still, but their own children who love to run and jump are suspected of having ADHD. This is just like you can't ask a child who has just learned to walk to run as steadily as an adult. Children's mental state originally develops slowly in fluctuations. Occasionally, they lose their temper, don't want to go to school, or get into trouble with their classmates. As long as they can adjust themselves and don't get stuck in negative emotions for a long time, it's not a problem.

There is really no need to conduct a "psychological physical examination" on children based on the standards found online. As long as the child is relaxed and happy most of the time, is willing to talk to his family when encountering difficulties, and can keep up with the normal pace of study and social interaction, he is basically in a healthy state of mind. If you are really unsure, just ask a professional child psychologist for evaluation. Don't label the child as "psychologically problematic" casually.