Take It All to The Great Outdoors!
Written by Dr. Pia Boben Fenimore
About one out of every five children in the United States is living with a mental health disorder. This is a pre-pandemic statistic, so it is likely much higher now. The crisis is overwhelming our families, our schools, and our health care systems. The solution lies in a focus on Awareness and Prevention.
When it comes to making a difference in the mental health of our children and ourselves, the first step is awareness. Lancaster Pediatrics is committed to giving parents, grandparents, friends, educators, and community members practical information about the current mental health crisis. Because it is certain that we are not going to solve this problem with pharmaceuticals, it is important that we focus on seemingly small (though not always simple) interventions that can be achieved without a prescription.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Center for Disease Control recently released recommendations that all children be screened for depression and anxiety beginning at age eight. While this may make some parents uncomfortable, it is important that we talk to our kids about their mental health before they are not well. Tik Tok and other social media platforms have provided a voice for mental health awareness as well as many celebrities have begun talking about their own personal struggles with mental illness. People are talking about it more, across all bandwidths and in all age groups. Taking ownership of this problem and talking about it openly is how we are going to solve this crisis.
Prevention is a word that is only newly applied to mental health. Yet, just like the prevention of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, you can prevent mental illness. And the great news is that the same things that help prevent it also help to treat it. Often you can do, read, or participate in one thing that can serve as the catalyst for positive change. Lancaster Pediatrics wants to give parents prevention strategies, and the first one is the great outdoors.
The time that our children and teens spend on screens each day has more than doubled. The physical effects of this are headaches, nearsightedness, and shorter attentions spans. This increased time comes at the cost of less time in nature. Humans have an innate or even instinctual response to the outdoors. Research shows that our stress chemical rate of release decreases during time outside, and that we experience less anxiety and depression when we spend time with nature. According to the American Psychological Association, children who live in neighborhoods with more green space become adults who have a reduced incidence of disorders such as depression, anxiety, and substance use than those who grew up with less nature exposure. People who spend regular time outdoors have been found to be happier and more connected to their world.
As parents and grandparents, we should make it both a priority and a habit to ensure that our children spend time outdoors every day. The recommendation is at least 60 minutes a day. If we commit to it we can make it happen. Some ideas to make it easier:
Move “indoor activities” such as eating, crafts, or board games outside
Make screen time conditional on outdoor time
Plan family outings to parks, pools, and forests
Sign your child up for a camp this summer that focuses on the outdoors
Encourage your child to get dirty, and to use mother nature as a playground
Look for moments to point out the wonders of nature
Walk instead of drive
Schedule outdoor playdates
Move toys outside
Go Geocaching
Plant a garden
Community leaders should take steps to make this as easy as possible. Lancaster city is leading the way by protecting and providing green and blue spaces within reach of everyone. They have created a ParksRx program which lists parks, their amenities, and how to access them on foot, bike, or public transportation. The Lancaster Conservancy has taken this to the county level to ensure that there are many protected areas where we can interact with nature and each other. Many of our school districts have begun to amend their approach to recess and physical education to allow for more outdoor time, and more emphasis on activities like hiking, biking, walking, and climbing. If we commit to outdoor time for everyone, but especially our children, we will be a healthier community overall.
As we start to finally focus on mental health awareness and prevention lets start with something as easy as stepping outside. Exposure to the outdoors has been proven to be both protective and healing for children’s mental health. Make it a priority, and the positive effects will last a lifetime.
A Place to Start:
Read one article:
https://www.apa.org/monitor/2020/04/nurtured-nature
Go to one web site:
https://www.cityoflancasterpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Lancaster-City-ParksRx.pdf
Read one book:
The Nature Principle by Richard Louv
Read one book to your child:
The Curious Garden by Peter Brown
Make one change:
Set a goal of 60 minutes outdoors for the entire house everyday
