Biological Model For Childhood Mental Health

Mental health within childhood is a long standing problem within society. One in ten children suffer with mental health issues (Mentalhealth.org.uk, 2015), by adopting different perspectives, models and explanations for childhood mental health, an evaluation can be made on the best course of prevention. The different views we adopt however have an effect on the way we think about the issue, such as the way we assess and identify it, how we treat it and most importantly how we try to prevent it (Kearney and Trull, 2015). Throughout this essay potential causes of mental health within children will be looked at and then relevantly critiqued. Through doing this an analysis on how best to approach the area of mental health and prevention within children can be made.

The biological model for childhood mental health is a very hard based scientific way of explaining the disorder. The model consists of, according to Clare (1980), scientific processes that study and observe symptoms, treatments and disease aetiology and believes mental disorders are a disease of the brain. Genetics play a
A long term study carried out by Silverman (1996) showed that up to 80 percent of children who suffered from abuse were diagnosable of a mental health disorder (Finkelhor et al., 2013). In lone parent families with lower income 16 percent of children had mental health issues when being compared to two parent families. Families with a less gross income were also 16 percent when being compared to families of a higher gross income, which were only 8 percent(Green, 2004) . Major traumas experienced in childhood, such as sexual, mental or physical abuse can have devastating effects effects on a child. It can lead to ill mental health throughout childhood and into adulthood. This can happen because abuse can have a knock on effect in all aspects of a child's life, such as schooling, friends, future relationships and social