WRHA Psychologist Urges Stronger Support for Children’s Emotional Health

Georgia Rose, Senior Clinical Psychologist at the Western Regional Health Authority (WRHA), is calling on parents and caregivers to make children’s emotional health a greater priority by giving them positive spaces to express themselves.

She said youngsters can experience stress and trauma, and may notice tension in the household or the wider setting more clearly than adults expect. Speaking with JIS News, Ms. Rose said children are still developing mentally and may not have the skills to understand, work through, or control their feelings without proper guidance.

According to her, co-curricular activities, sports and uniformed organisations can give children useful ways to direct difficult emotions. She pointed to the 4-H Clubs, Girl Guides, football, netball and swimming as examples of organised activities that can help children handle emotional pressure in a constructive manner.

Ms. Rose also warned adults not to conclude that children who are quiet or withdrawn are automatically doing well. “A quiet, reserved child who sits in their seat for the entire [time] is not necessarily a healthier child than a loud and boisterous child,” the Clinical Psychologist pointed out.

She explained that children who are not taught how to manage their emotions may act out in troubling ways. Bullying, she noted, can be one result when harmful feelings are not addressed, and that behaviour can feed disputes and violence in schools.

Ms. Rose said adults can sometimes strengthen damaging conduct by brushing aside early teasing or the start of bullying. “We see a teasing going on, we see the genesis of the bullying, and we say to the child, who is almost like a victim of it or a target… ‘toughen up… it’s not going to kill you’,” she said.

Although such advice may be meant to help children become resilient, Ms. Rose said they also need to learn how to relate to others respectfully, accept differences and practise healthy social behaviour.

She stressed that planned social activities can support children in building better responses to emotional difficulties. “It can be quite difficult for the teachers, the disciplinarians and the caregivers to manage 40-plus emotions that are occurring at any one time. So, we really want to start… equipping our children with opportunities to have more pro-social behaviours,” she said.

Ms. Rose urged parents and caregivers to watch closely for signs that children may be mentally exhausted, including shifts in sleeping, eating and emotional patterns. Where those signs are present, she advised families to seek help from professionals, including school guidance counsellors, or to contact the Ministry of Health and Wellness mental health support line at 888-639-5433.