Seismics and the City 18 March 2016 - Shaping Canterbury's Future Now Shaping Young Minds - Mental Health issues and Solutions

1. 18 March 2016
Toni Gutschlag
General Manager Mental Health
Canterbury DHB
Child and Youth Mental Health

2. An increase in mental health issues is
expected following a natural disaster.

3. Last 3 yrs
 39% increase in adult
community
 60% increase in child and
youth
 77% increase in rural
 125% increase in Emergency
Dept

4. Biology - Constitution – Genetics –
Temperament
Environment – Family – School – Community –
Country
Experiences – Good – Bad – Short – Long –
What determines
mental health?

5. Influences mediated through:
• Genes – Direct - Epigenetics
• Direct Care – Quality - Modelling
• Choices they make for their children
Parents are key

6. Parenting Knowledge and Skill
Attitude to the role of parent and to Parenting
Opportunities to provide quality parenting
Resources and support to enable parents in the role
Quality of parenting
determined by -

7. Time
Life experiences make us or break us.
Every life experience counts.
Enjoy your children and give them the
opportunity to enjoy you. Make childhood
a positive, learning, and nurturing
experience.
The key ingredient is time
Time, give it now and enjoy or give later
and endure.
Enjoy now or endure later

8. POSITIVE
PARENTING IS THE
IMMUNITY JAB OF
MENTAL ILLNESS

9. All experiences are important but they
vary in their effects even with variations
in normal experiences
All experiences have biological effects
regardless of age, even structural
effects
Every year is important, not just the first
three years

10. Children differ in their response to
adversity. Resilience is real
Resilience is through exposure and
successful coping not avoidance of stress
and adversity

11. The effects of adverse experiences are
reversible. It is never too late.

12. http://allright.co.nz/