Incorporating Mental Health Books for Children

The prevalence of mental illness has increased across the United States of America and abroad. 
We need to work diligently towards prevention. The key to any good prevention plan is starting 
before a problem begins. Children are that starting point. Psychologists are trained to help 
children in a variety of ways, including reading. 

March is National Reading Month. Author John Green has said, “Great books help you 
understand, and they help you feel understood.” Here Green provides a beautiful framework 
for the need to incorporate more mental health topics during National Reading Month. As the 
world transitions from post-COVID 19 pandemic changes, we will better understand the impact 
on children. Research has documented that COVID-19 negatively impacts mental health. Despite 
increased widespread struggles with mental health, the stigma against having a mental health 
problem persists. Reading is a powerful way to help children flourish. Pairing the benefits of 
children reading with the benefits of learning about mental health topics reduces the stigma 
of mental health concerns through early exposure.

Early Exposure to Good Things Increases Success 
Psychosocial risk exposure in childhood is associated with a greater probability of emotional, 
behavioral, and academic problems (Ramakrishnan & Masten, 2020). The COVID-19 pandemic has 
exacerbated pre-existing risk environments for many children and led to new risk factors 
developing for others. Research has demonstrated that childhood struggles with reading are 
associated with behavioral problems and the development of depression and anxiety 
(Catalano et al., 2003; Miller & Shinn, 2005; Prilleltensky, Nelson, & Pierson, 2001). 
Logically, if reading problems are linked to mental health problems, then incorporating mental 
health books—both in general and particularly as part of National Reading Month—would improve 
mental health outcomes for children. Exposing children to age-appropriate mental health books
will contribute to their academic, behavioral, and emotional success.

Stigma Reduction Increases Success
There is a gap between when an individual first begins to experience symptoms of a mental 
disorder and the start of their treatment. Approximately 1 in 5 youth aged 13-17 experiences a 
mental disorder at some point during their life. For children aged 8-15, the estimate is 13%. 
And yet, most children are not exposed to mental health professions or even words like 
“psychologist” and “therapist” until they are sitting in front of one to begin treatment. 
We can easily understand how this contributes to the stigma around mental health concerns. 

Early Exposure to Helping Professions
1. Police Officers and Firefighters: Interestingly, children are exposed early to the 
   professions of police officer and firefighter, both helping professions involving 
   challenging, sometimes dangerous, experiences. Non-threatening exposure to these 
   professions includes cartoon and movie characters such as female bunny police officer 
   Judy Hopps in Zootopia and the male and female firefighters in the cartoon series 
   Paw Patrol. There are also many children’s books, like The Fire Cat, in which these 
   types of professionals play a helpful role. Early on, children experience visits from 
   local police officers or firemen and women at their schools. They even get to see a 
   police car and fire truck up close.
2. Medical Doctors: We also expose children to doctors early on. They quickly come to 
   recognize that the doctor is where they go when they are physically ill as well as 
   for check-up appointments. Partly because some children have anxiety about doctor 
   visits, we expose kids to non-threatening depictions of going to a doctor with colorful 
   books and several types of doctors depicted in cartoon television shows, like the 
   veterinarian character Doc McStuffins who helps her stuffed animals feel better.
3. Mental Health Professionals: Early exposure to the mental health profession would reduce
   stigma as well as the anxiety and fear that can occur with a first appointment, 
   especially for a child. Reading is a wonderful way to expose children to mental health
   topics and the role of mental health treatment providers. Non-threatening, neutral 
   exposure can powerfully reduce the stigma around mental health issues by normalizing 
   and making their treatment visible. 

Increased Awareness Necessitates Action
As the world continues to cope with the disproportionate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic 
on vulnerable populations, the need to increase awareness and access to helpful resources
has become a call to action. Reading can be an inexpensive tool that families and schools
can use to combat the negative impact of COVID-19 on children. While reading books may not 
cost as much as taking the entire family to a movie theater or out to dinner, access to 
quality books may be limited for some families and schools. With awareness of the positive 
benefits of reading and reading about mental health on our children, it is time to act swiftly.
Federal, state, and local governments should continue to work diligently to improve access to 
reading resources for children, including mental health books, in all communities.