Blog

Written by: Qanita Fatima

Why Mental Health Matters in Childhood & Adolescence?

Mental health isn’t just the absence of problems — it’s what helps children

✨ Learn confidently

✨ Connect with others

✨ Express their feelings

✨ Recover from setbacks.

It develops over time, shaped by everything around them — from their home and school to the relationships and experiences they have every day.

Strong mental health = stronger futures

When children develop healthy coping skills and emotional stability early on, they’re better equipped for lifelong success — academically, socially, and personally

          Role of Mental Health in Early Childhood:

        🌱 The first 1,000 days are critical

Early childhood (conception to age 2–3) is a prime window for brain growth, emotional wellbeing, and cognitive development (Schwarzenberg et al., 2018).

       👩‍👩‍👦 Relationships shape the brain

Nurturing bonds with caregivers, family, and peers build the foundation for resilience, self-regulation, and social skills.

       🏡 Environment matters — for better or worse

Stable, safe homes, green play spaces, and healthy nutrition foster thriving. But toxic stress, pollution, or neglect can leave lasting scars.

       🧠 Early experiences = lifelong impact

Positive stimulation builds strong mental health architecture, while adverse experiences raise risks for challenges later in life.

Mental Health in Middle Childhood (Age 6-12)

As children enter middle childhood, their mental health becomes a decisive factor in shaping their academic progress, social development, and emotional maturity.

Academic Performance:  Mental health directly affects concentration, learning capacity, and classroom engagement. Early emotional or behavioural challenges are linked to lower academic achievement, whereas appropriate support enhances focus and educational success.

Social Relationships:  Psychological wellbeing and peer interactions reinforce one another. Children with stable emotional health are better equipped to form friendships, while positive peer support can protect against later mental health difficulties.

Emotional Regulation: Skills such as impulse control and emotional expression are still developing. Caregivers and educators play an essential role in modelling healthy coping strategies (Willner et al., 2016).

Mental Health in Adolescence 

Adolescence (13–18) is a time of intense physical, emotional, and social change. As teenagers seek independence, form identity, and navigate academic and social pressures, mental health becomes a defining factor in their development and future wellbeing.

During Adolescence there is: 

Heightened Risk of Mental Health Conditions:                 

Anxiety and depression are common during this stage, and suicide remains one of the leading causes of death among adolescents. Many adult mental health disorders first emerge during these years — making early support critical.

Peer Relationships as Critical Protective or Risk Factors

Friendships provide belonging and emotional support. Positive connections strengthen resilience, while social exclusion, bullying, or online pressure significantly increase psychological distress (Di Giacomo et al., 2018).

Impact on Education and Behaviour

Poor mental health can lead to school avoidance, disengagement, and academic decline. It is also linked to greater risk-taking behaviours such as substance use or aggression.

Long-Term Outcomes:

A strong foundation of mental health during middle childhood increases the likelihood of positive adjustment in adolescence and fosters resilience into adulthood.

Therefore:

Promoting mental health from infancy through adolescence is about more than just averting issues; it's about maximising potential. Children and young people learn more effectively, form closer bonds with others, and develop into resilient, self-assured individuals when they feel protected, supported, and emotionally mature.

Investing in mental health today is about building for the future - not just providing care.

Insights from: Suppiej, A., Longo, I., & Pettoello-Mantovani, M. (2025). The pivotal role of Mental health in child and adolescent development. Global Pediatrics, 100277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gpeds.2025.100277

Di Giacomo, E., Krausz, M., Colmegna, F., Aspesi, F., & Clerici, M. (2018). Estimating the risk of attempted suicide among sexual minority youths. JAMA Pediatrics, 172(12), 1145. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2018.2731

Schwarzenberg, S. J., Georgieff, M. K., Daniels, S., Corkins, M., Golden, N. H., Kim, J. H., Lindsey, C. W., & Magge, S. N. (2018). Advocacy for improving nutrition in the first 1000 days to support childhood development and adult health. PEDIATRICS, 141(2). https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2017-3716

Willner, C. J., Gatzke-Kopp, L. M., & Bray, B. C. (2016). The dynamics of internalizing and externalizing comorbidity across the early school years. Development and Psychopathology, 28(4pt1), 1033–1052. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579416000687

Written by: Qanita Fatima

ADHD (Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental conditions worldwide, affecting roughly 4–6% of children and adolescents (Cortese et al., 2023). 

It’s typically characterised by three main symptoms: inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. These symptoms can make everyday life more challenging impacting functionality in school, work and managing relationships (Posner et al., 2020).

Beyond these symptoms, there is another piece of the picture that is often overlooked: Emotional Dysregulation (ED). This could look like: 

o   Strong emotional responses for small problems.

o   Sudden shifts in mood 

o   Difficulty calming down when upset 

(Shaw et al., 2014).

When people with ADHD experience ED, they frequently face increased functional impairment, lower quality of life, and poorer treatment response (Bunford et al. 2015). 

So, where does Physical Activity (PA) come in?

Research suggests that exercise including aerobic or mindfulness-based movement may help improve emotional regulation (Norouzi et al., 2023). Alas, we still don’t know much about how physical activity affects emotional dysregulation specifically in people with ADHD.

That’s why a recent study by Ontiveros et al. (2025) is so valuable. It set out to answer key questions on this topic including:

• Are ADHD symptoms linked to emotional dysregulation in adolescence?

• And does the intensity or frequency of physical activity influence that relationship?

How did Ontiveros et al. (2025) investigate this relationship?

To explore the link between ADHD, emotional dysregulation and physical activity; Ontiveros et al. (2025) drew on data from the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS).

CATSS began in 2004 and includes several twins born in Sweden from July 1992 onwards. When twins turn 9 or 12 years old, their parents are invited to take part. From there, these individuals were followed up multiple times - at ages 15, 18 and 24.

What did they measure?

To understand how ADHD, emotional control, and physical activity interact over time, the researchers looked at several pieces of data including:

 ·       Emotional dysregulation (ED) measured when participants were 15 years old, using self-reports from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ). This is a widely used tool that assesses emotional and behavioural wellbeing in young people aged 4–17.

·       ADHD symptoms were assessed earlier, at age 9 or 12, based on parental reports using the A-TAC, a validated screening tool for neurodevelopmental conditions.

·       Physical activity levels were also reported by parents at baseline, giving an insight into how active the children were during their earlier years.

So, What did Ontiveros et al. (2025) discover?

They discovered that children with ADHD symptoms were more likely to experience ED in adolescence  this was true for both boys and girls. Additionally, both inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity (the two core ADHD traits) were independently linked to later ED.

Regarding Physical Activity:

-              Children with ADHD who were more physically active tended to show lower levels of emotional dysregulation. This suggests that regular physical activity might help buffer emotional challenges linked to ADHD symptoms.

-              Teenagers with high ADHD symptoms and low physical activity showed the highest levels of emotional dysregulation.

 However, as ADHD symptoms and PA were measured at the same time, we can’t yet say for sure whether low PA worsens ED or whether those with higher ADHD symptoms struggle more to stay active.

What does this mean?

While this research doesn’t provide a cause-and-effect relationship, the pattern suggests that encouraging regular movement especially early in life among ADHD children could support emotional well-being.

         At the BREAD Lab: Two active research projectsare also investigating the relationship between emotional dysregulation, physical activity and ADHD symptoms

🎮 GameFit Exergaming Study

We’re looking for children aged 7–14 years with traits of ADHD to join a 6-week exergaming intervention (exercise through video games) at Kingston University. 

Regarding mood - we investigate how it can be improved through a regimen of physical exercise.

Participation includes:

✔️ Fun exercise-based gaming sessions

✔️ Behavioural, brain activity (EEG), and fitness assessments

💷 Families receive £40 as a thank-you

📩 Contact us: breadlabkingston@gmail.com

👉 Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/QhNNA

🧠 NEAR-Kids EEG Study

We’re also inviting children aged 7–14 years to take part in fun cognitive tasks and EEG brain activity measures at Kingston University:

Participation includes:

✔️ Fun cognitive online tasks

✔️ Behavioural, brain activity (EEG), and fitness assessments

💷 Families receive £10 as a thank-you

📩 Contact us: breadlabkingston@gmail.com

👉 Sign up here: https://shorturl.at/cC0lL

References:

Bunford, N., Evans, S. W., & Langberg, J. M. (2014). Emotion dysregulation is associated with social impairment among young adolescents with ADHD. Journal of Attention Disorders, 22(1), 66–82. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054714527793

Cortese, S., Song, M., Farhat, L. C., Yon, D. K., Lee, S. W., Kim, M. S., Park, S., Oh, J. W., Lee, S., Cheon, K., Smith, L., Gosling, C. J., Polanczyk, G. V., Larsson, H., Rohde, L. A., Faraone, S. V., Koyanagi, A., Dragioti, E., Radua, J., . . . Solmi, M. (2023). Incidence, prevalence, and global burden of ADHD from 1990 to 2019 across 204 countries: data, with critical re-analysis, from the Global Burden of Disease study. Molecular Psychiatry, 28(11), 4823–4830. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-023-02228-3

Norouzi, E., Rezaie, L., Bender, A. M., & Khazaie, H. (2023). Mindfulness plus physical activity reduces emotion dysregulation and insomnia severity among people with major depression. Behavioral Sleep Medicine, 22(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1080/15402002.2023.2176853

Ontiveros, N., Wiklund, C. A., Ohlis, A., & Ekblom, Ö. (2025). The role of physical activity in the association between ADHD and emotional dysregulation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 376, 68–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.01.127

Posner, J., Polanczyk, G. V., & Sonuga-Barke, E. (2020). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. The Lancet, 395(10222), 450–462. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(19)33004-1

Shaw, P., Stringaris, A., Nigg, J., & Leibenluft, E. (2014). Emotion dysregulation in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry, 171(3), 276–293. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.1307096