In conversations about early childhood trauma, abuse and neglect are often the main topics, which is completely justified. As suggested in the prompt, these children who are maltreated by family, guardians, and sometimes even teachers have no one to turn to for support. However, it is essential to recognize that trauma comes from multiple different things. Further, there is not one singular way to help a child through and recover from their traumatic experiences. Growing up, I was affected by sudden loss and other medical traumas. However, the things I went through were far from abuse or neglect. That being said, during this time, my parents enrolled me in group therapy with various other kids who needed help with adjusting to recent life changes. It was functionally just like daycare, a distraction. That counseling program was a missed opportunity to teach me and the other young kids how to deal with our negative emotions effectively. There are kids who have gone through worse than me and have far less support than I did. These kids who are victims of various traumas are at risk of other concerning experiences and behaviors as adolescents and adults. While studying child development and psychopathology, I learned of The Theory of Latent Vulnerability and other similar concepts. These research studies and theories explain how a child's brain changes to protect itself. The mechanisms used as protection may become harmful or dangerous in adolescence or adulthood. These studies also suggest that a child who faced abuse or other traumas is more likely to develop a mental disorder later on. However, The Theory of Latent vulnerability stresses that one can not use the trauma to predict which disorder develops. Children spend around seven hours in school five days a week. I often used those seven hours as a distraction during hard times. It feels better to be busy than to face my emotions. I think having a form of therapy or help available in schools would be of benefit. With programs like this, their existence should be well known. It's counter-productive to create a resource without people knowing it exists. It could be a group program, like the one I was in as a child, or a one-on-one meeting. It should predominately focus on making the child feel safe enough to speak freely and be themselves and teach these kids healthy coping mechanisms and ways to protect themselves. Programs like this are often associated with guidance counselors, but these counselors are usually not equipped to handle school children's issues, often leaving them feeling worse. It is important to note that school programs like my proposal won't stop kids from falling through the cracks. Not every kid is privileged to attend school, and not every kid stays in school. However, starting this program in schools would help us reach as many kids as possible. Hopefully, we can run programs like this in open, more accessible spaces like hospitals, libraries, or community centers. The studies mentioned: McCrory, E. J., & Viding, E. (2011). The theory of latent vulnerability: Reconceptualizing the link between childhood maltreatment and psychiatric disorder. Development and Psychopathology, 27(02), 493-505. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579415000115 Wang, S., Xu, H., Zhang, S., Yang, R., Li, D., Sun, Y., Wan, Y., & Tao, F. (2022). Linking Childhood Maltreatment and Psychological Symptoms: The Role of Social Support, Coping Styles, and Self-esteem in Adolescents. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(1-2), NP620–NP650. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520918571

Any ideas proposed to fix the inaccessibility of mental healthcare are just bandaids on the actual issue. Mental healthcare and general healthcare are inaccessible because they are considered luxuries. Some people are unable to get their yearly check-ups or afford their life-saving prescriptions. If they cannot prioritize their physical health, how can they prioritize their mental health? The only way to truly fix this issue is for the country to reshape its entire medical system. However, until that happens, I will do what I can. I have many other ideas for making mental health more accessible, but for the sake of this shorter application, I will only focus on one. I have a deep belief that by supporting the youth as they grow up, things in life will improve. I would love to partner with schools to provide the support that some parents are hesitant or unable to provide their children. Guidance counseling, something schools already offer, often does not focus on the student as a person, but as a set of grades. From personal experiences and statements from others I know, guidance counseling often makes us feel worse. That form of counseling is primarily focused on the future, and not on our hopelessness about the present. With the support of the schools, I’d like to run programs where students can practice mindfulness, learn how to make choices for their mental health, and/or talk about things they cannot or will not share with friends or family.