Child Mental Health Research Articles

Study on the correlation between abdominal infection and psychological stress in children based on nucleic acid detection

BACKGROUND Diagnosing and treating abdominal infection in children remains a challenge. Nucleic acid detection, as a rapid and accurate diagnosis tool, has great significance in this field. AIM To investigate the diagnosis and treatment of abdominal infection by nucleic acid detection and its possible correlation with psychological stress in children. METHODS A total of 50 pediatric patients diagnosed with abdominal infections between September 2020 and July 2021 were included in this study. Intra-abdominal pus samples were collected for pathogen culture, drug susceptibility testing, and broad-spectrum bacterial nucleic acid testing. Psychological stress, anxiety, depression, and coping styles were assessed using the coping with a disease (CODI) scale. RESULTS Based on susceptibility testing, a regimen of cefazoxime, piperacillin/tazobactam, and metronidazole or ornidazole achieved 100% effectiveness in treating appendicitis. Psychological assessments revealed a positive correlation between pressure level and both anxiety (r = 0.324, P = 0.001) and depressive disorders (r = 0.325, P < 0.001). Acceptance and distancing as coping strategies were negatively correlated with anxiety and depression, while negative emotional responses were strongly associated with increased anxiety (r = 0.574, P < 0.001) and depression (r = 0.511, P = 0.001). Coping strategies such as illusion and escape showed no significant correlation with emotional outcomes. CONCLUSION Nucleic acid testing helps in the diagnosis of abdominal infections in children, and also focuses on children's mental health.

The patient and the family: investigating parental mental health problems, family functioning, and parent involvement in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

AbstractParental mental health problems can impact child mental health, as well as treatment of child mental health problems. The aim of this study was to investigate self-reported mental health problems in parents of children referred to outpatient child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) and to compare child mental health problems, family variables, treatment received and parent participation in treatment planning between parents above and below the cut-off for elevated mental health problems. The sample included N = 111 parents of N = 98 children. Parental reports covering their own and their children’s mental health problems, family functioning, adult relationship satisfaction, and previous treatment for mental health problems were collected at the time of the child’s intake appointment. Questions concerning contact with CAMHS were completed one year later. At the time of the intake appointment, 44% of the children had a parent who reported elevated mental health problems. In these families, children reportedly had significantly more mental health problems and problematic family functioning was more common than in families where parent mental health problems were not elevated. Parents with elevated mental health problems received group-based parent support/education to a greater extent during the first year of contact with CAHMS and reported less participation in treatment planning compared to parents without elevated mental health problems. To conclude, findings indicate that co-occurring mental health problems are common in parents when their child is referred to CAMHS, and in these families, it is reported that children have more symptoms, and more families experience problematic functioning. These factors merit consideration in assessment and treatment planning, indicating increased treatment needs in this group of families.

Efficacy of positive expressive writing in reducing depression and social anxiety symptoms among schoolchildren during COVID-19: A randomized controlled trial.

The COVID-19 pandemic harmed children's mental health, and limited therapy access exacerbates the issue. We studied positive expressive writing (EW) as a psychological intervention for teachers to reduce depression and social anxiety symptoms among schoolchildren. Altogether, 165 Chinese schoolchildren aged 10-15 were randomly assigned to positive EW, memory EW, or control group. EW groups wrote for 10 minutes weekly for 7 weeks about people and things they felt grateful for (positive EW) or memorable in the past week. The control group continued with regular weekly class meetings. All groups measured depression and social anxiety before and after the intervention. Positive EW significantly reduced depression and social anxiety symptoms compared to the control condition (both Cohen's d = -0.45) and reduced social anxiety symptoms compared to memory EW (Cohen's d = -0.32). Therefore, teachers can implement positive EW to support schoolchildren's mental health recovery during and after disasters.

Digital media in early childhood: risk factors for online harm and psychosocial correlates

IntroductionEarly and middle childhood are times of rapid development, and critical periods for laying the foundations of life-long trajectories of socioemotional well-being. High levels of screen media use are of growing concern to parents, health professionals, and researchers, given the increasing body of research demonstrating detrimental impacts of excessive screen use in young children. One particular consequence is the risk that children encounter online content or experiences that are upsetting or distressing, including exposure to inappropriate or adult content, cyberbullying, and interactions with strangers that they don't know.MethodsThis research examined experiences of online harm reported in a sample of 8-year-old children, with a focus on identifying risk factors and psychosocial correlates of online harm. Data for this study were collected from children and their mothers as part of the prospective longitudinal Growing Up in New Zealand (GUiNZ) study (n = 4,920 children with data at age 8). Children were assessed at 4.5-years-old and 8-years-old.ResultsThe findings of this research indicate that approximately a quarter of New Zealand children have experienced online harm (that is, have encountered online content that worried, upset, or bothered them) by the age of 8. Our analysis indicates that children with behavioral difficulties are at greater risk of online harm, as are children with more personal devices. Experiences of online harm were found to be negatively associated with child self-worth and positively associated with depressive symptoms.DiscussionFindings highlighting the critical importance of considering online harm as a contributing factor to child and youth well-being and mental health in our media-saturated world. Our results also point to practical solutions for parents, such as limiting the number of personal media devices that children have in early and middle childhood.

Multi-Informant Universal Mental Health Screening for Preschool-Aged Children by Parents and Educators: A PRISMA Systematic Review.

Children develop rapidly in the preschool period, making accurate appraisals of mental health (MH) difficult. The preschool years are a key period for early identification of MH concerns and could benefit from multi-informant, universal MH screening (UMHS). This systematic review aimed to identify multi-informant UMHS measures for preschool-aged children, and to examine their clinical utility, effectiveness, and acceptability. Studies reporting the predictive and incremental validity, effectiveness or acceptability of parent and educator-report UMHS measures for children aged 3-5years were identified through CINAHL, Embase, ERIC, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus and Web of Science. Studies were excluded if screening was not the primary focus, not universal, single informant, or primarily focussed on Autism Spectrum Disorder. A total of 11 studies using 10 measures was identified. Ten studies screened for broad MH difficulties. Three educator-report and one parent- and educator-report measures had acceptable predictive validity. One study reporting incremental validity found that adding educator-report to parent ratings significantly improved the identification of MH concerns. No studies reported on effectiveness. Three studies that explored acceptability reported strong support for either UMHS in general or specific measures. There are promising results that UMHS can accurately identify child MH concerns in the preschool period using parent and educator reports. However, with few of the examined measures reaching the benchmark standards for predictive validity and only one study examining incremental validity, further research is needed to establish clinical utility. UMHS with preschool populations appears to be acceptable; future studies should further examine multi-informant screening in preschool populations. This systematic review was registered with the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero ; registration number: CRD 42022383426).

Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on children’s mental health

Considering the repercussions of the current public health emergency caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19), it is necessary to understand how children are impacted on their mental health and what are the strategies that can be adopted while facing this experience. The individual’s systemic view, which emphasizes his or her relations and interactions, allows an unique deepening of this matter. Thus, the present study aimed to systematize knowledge about the impacts of the new coronavirus pandemic on children's mental health. According tothe critical review of the literature on scientific basis, these impacts can be experienced directly or indirectly and exist in levels, such as individual, family and social. Challenges and possibilities for children's mental health care are discussed regarding pandemic’s impact.

Strategies to support mental health within a primary school setting

AbstractThis article explores an insight into different teaching strategies implemented within two educational settings in year 1 classrooms. Since the Coronavirus pandemic, evidence states that children's mental health is declining highlighting the need to teach children how to gain a positive mindset. This article shall reflect on my practice, which used different self‐regulation strategies to improve a child's emotional intelligence and transfer their knowledge into real‐life practice. It shall reflect on the three primary methods I implemented into my year 1 classroom to create a safe learning environment: Self‐regulation, brain breaks and calm corners. These methods were implemented in two different year 1 classrooms across two different academic years. These strategies were embedded and adapted throughout the whole year, yet this article shall reflect on the evidence of the Autumn term in each academic year. The same strategies were implemented in both academic years to compare these strategies in two different educational settings. The Autumn term was chosen as the reflection period due to the transition from EYFS to Year 1 being a key factor in most children's mental health at that age.

Evaluation of nursing administration records of high‐risk medications at a hospital network: a retrospective audit

AbstractWithin our hospital network, the PINCH acronym (Potassium, Insulin, Narcotics, Chemotherapeutics, Heparin) designates high‐risk medications. As per local guidelines, double‐checking is mandated at the point of administration. This retrospective audit aimed to assess nursing and midwifery staff's ability to recognise PINCH medications by examining their adherence to double‐signing protocols, serving as an indicator of double‐checking. The analysis included overall compliance proportions, categorised by PINCH class and further stratified based on location, specialty, and staffs' level of training. An analysis of the first thousand PINCH medication administrations from 1 January 2023 was conducted, spanning four sites within our hospital network. Data sourced from the Electronic Medication Record system were refined to include one medication per patient per day, totalling 200 administrations per PINCH category. The results revealed that 896 (89.6%) out of 1000 medication administrations were co‐signed, with narcotics showing a co‐signature rate of 100%, followed by potassium at 99%, heparin at 98%, insulin at 97.5%, and chemotherapeutics at 53.5%. Among the orders lacking co‐signature, 90% pertained to chemotherapeutics and the remaining 10% were distributed across other categories. Stratifying by location showed 28 (17.6%) out of 159 administrations in a subacute setting lack co‐signature, compared to 76 (6%) from 841 in an acute setting. Compliance rates were highest in specialty medicine at 94.3%, followed by surgical at 86.2%, general medicine 84.5%, women and children's and mental health units at 83.3% each, and continuing care at 82.2%. Notably, enrolled nurses exhibited the highest level of compliance with co‐signatures. Future research could explore the impact of educational strategies on the administration of high‐risk medications. Ethical approval was granted by the Eastern Health Office of Research and Ethics (Reference no: QA23‐075‐101 386) and the study conforms to the Australian Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research.

Healing through tradition: the role of Indigenous Elder support in child and youth mental health in Canada

The current mental health care system in Canada, with its focus on western biomedical and individualistic approaches, does not support Indigenous holistic views of wellness and silences Indigenous knowledges through colonial ideologies. This research identifies the vital support that mental health services must include to create culturally relevant and safe services: Elders. Elders provide holistic approaches to mental wellness that consider cultural, individual, family, and community needs to promote healing. To explore the roles of Elders in mental health services, a comprehensive narrative review was conducted. All 22 included studies were conducted by Indigenous scholars or with Indigenous communities. Findings were organized into three themes: (a) Elders are knowledge keepers: sharing wisdom; (b) need for cultural-based teachings, ceremonies, and land-based healing led by Elders; and (c) Importance of relationships for increasing youth’s mental wellness. Barriers were identified that prevent Elder involvement, and recommendations for mental health programmes are provided.

Application of the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model in Parent-Adolescent Mental Health Knowledge and Depression.

To explore the individual and interpersonal association between mental health knowledge (MHK) and depression in adolescents and one of their parents, and to explore whether gender differences exist between fathers and mothers in these associations. Participants were 3456 father-adolescent dyads and 4478 mother-adolescent dyads, recruited from eight middle schools in Wuhan, who completed self-report assessments of MHK and depression from September to October 2021. With the application of the actor-partner interdependence model, A positive actor effect between MHK and depression in adolescents was found. Adverse partner effects from fathers' MHK and mothers' MHK to adolescent depression were noted and showed no significant difference. Adolescents' depression was significantly associated with parental depression in both fathers and mothers. It is implied that milder adolescent depression was associated with lower levels of adolescent MHK, along with higher levels of MHK in both fathers and mothers. For parents, it is important to emphasise the improvement of their own MHK and increase their attention to adolescent mental health problems, as this may contribute to enhancing the mental health of adolescents. This study is instructive and related to family-based nursing interventions for mental health, emphasising the potential influence of parents in the family on adolescent depressive symptoms. The findings suggest that parental involvement should be encouraged and that the family's role in supporting the child's mental health should be recognised, contributing to the development of relevant policies. This study highlights that higher parental MHK is associated with lower levels of adolescent depression, with no gender differences between fathers and mothers. Family-based nursing interventions that emphasise mental health education for parents may have an impact on improving depression in adolescents. Guidelines were followed using the STROBE reporting method. None.

Working with Child and Adolescent Mental Health: The Central Role of Language and Communication

Working with Child and Adolescent Mental Health: The Central Role of Language and Communication

Association between screen time, homework and reading duration, sleep duration, social jetlag and mental health among Chinese children and adolescents

ObjectivesTo examine the associations of screen time, homework and reading duration, sleep duration, social jetlag with mental health in children and adolescents, as well as its gender differences.MethodsFrom December 2023 to April 2024, a total of 62 395 children and adolescents were selected from 51 schools in 17 cities of China by stratified cluster sampling. Screen time, homework and reading duration, sleep duration, and social jetlag were calculated by answering the questions about watching TV time, playing smartphones time, doing homework time, reading extracurricular books time, bedtime, wake-up time, and nap time during weekdays and weekends. Mental health was assessed by the Revised Mental Health Inventory-5 (MHI-5). The generalized linear model was used to determine the association between screen time, homework and reading duration, sleep duration, social jetlag, and mental health in children and adolescents.ResultsThe generalized linear model results showed that longer watching TV time, longer playing smartphones time, longer homework time, and greater social jetlag were correlated with poorer mental health in children and adolescents, while longer nighttime sleep duration, and longer daytime nap duration were correlated with better mental health. Moreover, in primary school and junior high school, we found that this association was stronger during the weekdays. However, in senior high school, this association was stronger during the weekends. After according to gender stratified, we found that the strength of this association was different in boys and girls at different study phases. Furthermore, our findings also revealed a significant quadratic relationship, indicating the association of better mental health with an optimal amount of sleep duration.ConclusionsThere was a significant association between screen time, homework and reading duration, sleep duration, social jetlag, and mental health in children and adolescents. This study has the potential to offer useful insights for the prevention and control of mental health issues in children and adolescents.

A Descriptive Study to Assess the Knowledge of Teachers Regarding Brunt of Corporal Punishment and its Impact on Child Mental Health in Selected Schools Bangalore with a View to Prepare an Informational Booklet on Impact of Corporal Punishment in Mental Health

Corporal punishment is violence inflicted on children by parents, teachers, guardian and others in the name of “discipline”. Discipline is training that corrects, molds or perfects the mental facilities or moral characters. There are 3 types of corporal punishment, those are: School corporal punishment, Parental or domestic corporal punishment and judicial corporal punishment.  Objectives To assess the knowledge of primary school teachers regarding brunt of corporal punishment and its impact on child mental health.  Methods A descriptive approach design used to assess the knowledge of primary school teachers regrading brunt of corporal punishment and its Impact on child mental health In selected primary schools at Bangalore. In this study non-probability purposive sampling technique was adopted. A structured interview schedule was determined based on the objectives of the study. The data were analyzed using the computation of mean and standard deviation an inferential statistic. The data represented by using various graphical devices, the bar diagram, pie diagram etc.  Results The findings of the result shows that participants 73.33% had inadequate knowledge, 26.67% had moderate knowledge on the brunt of corporal punishment and its impact on child mental health. The result findings show that there will be a significant association between brunt of corporal punishment and its impact on child mental health with their selected demographic variables.

Locating the evidence for children and young people social prescribing: Where to start? A scoping review protocol.

It is estimated that disruptions to life caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have led to an increase in the number of children and young people suffering from mental health issues globally. In England one in four children experienced poor mental health in 2022. Social prescribing is gaining traction as a systems-based approach, which builds upon person-centered methods, to refer children and young people with non-clinical mental health issues to appropriate community assets. Recognition of social prescribing benefits for children's mental health is increasing, yet evidence is limited. Inconsistent terminology and variation of terms used to describe social prescribing practices across the literature hinders understanding and assessment of social prescribing's impact on children's mental health. This scoping review thus aims to systematically identify and analyse the various terms, concepts and language used to describe social prescribing with children and young people across the wider health and social care literature base. The scoping review will be undertaken using a six-stage framework which includes: identifying the research question, identifying relevant studies, study selection, charting the data, collating, summarising and reporting the results, and consultation. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, PsychInfo, Social Policy Practice, Scopus, Science Direct, Cochrane library and Joanna Briggs), alongside evidence from grey literature, hand search, citation tracking, and use of expert correspondence will be included in the review to ensure published and unpublished literature is captured. Data extraction will be carried out by two reviewers using a predefined form to capture study characteristics, intervention descriptions, outcomes, and key terms used to report social prescribing for children and young people. No formal quality appraisal or risk of bias evaluation will be performed, as this scoping review aims to map and describe the literature. Data will be stored and managed using the Rayaan.ai platform and a critical narrative of the common themes found will be included.

Analysis on the Enlightenment Effect of Sesame Street on Children's Personality Exploration and Self-identity

Abstract: In recent years, with the progress of social economy and the development of education, children's mental health has increasingly become the focus of attention. As an important medium of children's education, TV programs are very popular with children, and have a profound significance in the shaping of children's health. American television program Sesame Street as a popular children's program, from the plot content, role setting, theme selection, present form, etc., conforms to the preschool childrens acceptance preferences, and successfully utilizes the medium for the key period of childrens mental development, accurately grasps the mental health characteristics of preschool childrens love of imitation. The program plays a good enlightening role in guiding children to discover their own personality and construct the self identity. The concept of "personality exploration and self-identity" is related to "self". In the pursuit of personality and self-positioning, children are guided to establish self-awareness, cultivate self-management ability and self-respect feelings. This paper mainly analyzes the enlightenment effect of Sesame Street on children's personality exploration and self-identity. The program promotes children to establish confidence, form self-identity, constitute the supporting conditions of mental health, for children to lay a solid foundation, and promote the formation of children's mental health and sound personality. At the same time, as a successful TV program that is deeply loved by children and has the significance of health education, it provides examples and references for creating more high-quality children's TV programs.

Nature-based approaches: a mixed methods study of facilitators and barriers to implementation in CAMHS

BackgroundThere is growing evidence that spending time with or in nature can be beneficial for health and wellbeing. Emerging evidence suggests potential benefits for staff and service users in healthcare settings, yet little is known about how to put Nature-based approaches (NBAs) into practice within the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) setting. The CAMHS Goes Wild project in Southwest England aimed to explore the implementation of NBAs within CAMHS, examining staff attitudes and understanding to identify potential benefits and challenges through a mixed methods study.MethodsThe study involved three phases of data collection: an online survey with two waves, the first wave prior to the training, and the second four months post-training, and semi-structured interviews. Data collection was designed to fit around NatureWell training, attended by sixty-four CAMHS staff, which took place alongside the study. All participants were sampled from one NHS Trust and the study was open to both those who had attended the NatureWell training and those who had not. Data were synthesised to produce an understanding of staff attitudes towards NBAs and perceived barriers and facilitators to the implementation of this approach.ResultsNinety-seven staff responded to the wave 1 survey and 57 responded to the wave 2 survey. Fourteen staff members were interviewed. Data synthesis generated three themes: Tension between the culture of CAMHS and NBAs (Theme 1) and the need for buy-in and governance support (Theme 2). Theme three described the potential benefits of NBAs for staff and service users in CAMHS and is presented in a separate paper. The first two themes are presented in this paper.ConclusionsThe implementation of NBAs in mental health service settings for CYP presents both significant challenges and opportunities. Our findings suggest multiple barriers to implementation, often in the form of organisational or cultural factors, such as the risk averse nature of the service. Our work also elucidates several potential facilitators which may address or mitigate some of these barriers. These potential enablers, such as harnessing the role of firsthand experience, warrant further exploration in the implementation of NBAs in CAMHS.

Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) in children and adolescents: factor structure, reliability, validity, item parameters and interpretability of the parent version for practical use in Greece

BackgroundHealth systems need tools to assess patient’s experience of service, but existing tools lack reliability and validity assessment. Our aim is to investigate the factor structure, reliability, validity, item parameters and interpretability of the parent version of the Experience of Service Questionnaire (ESQ) for practical use in Greece.MethodsA total of 265 caregivers that were using mental health services in Greece participated in this study as part of the Nationwide cross-sectional survey from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Initiative (CAMHI). Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to test factor structure. Reliability of all models were measured with omega coefficients. Tobit regression analysis was used to test for convergent and discriminant validity with specifically designed questions. Item parameters were assessed via Item Response Theory. Interpretability was assessed by means of IRT-based scores.ResultsWe found that ESQ is best represented and scored as a unidimensional construct, given potential subscales would not have enough reliability apart from a general factor. Convergent and discriminant validity was demonstrated, as caregivers who perceived that their child benefited from the received mental health care had 6.50 higher summed scores (SMD = 1.14, p < 0.001); while those who believed that their child needed additional help had 5.08 lower summed scores on the ESQ (SMD = −0.89, p < 0.001). Average z-scores provided five meaningful categories of services, in terms of user satisfaction, compared to the national average.ConclusionsOur study presents evidence for the reliability and validity of the ESQ and provides recommendations for its practical use in Greece. ESQ can be used to measure experience of service and might help drive improvements in service delivery in the Greek mental health sector.

Experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic on child and adolescent psychiatric wards: multi-methods investigation.

Child and adolescent mental health service in-patient beds are unevenly spread throughout England. Where demand outstrips bed availability, young people may be admitted at-distance or to adult psychiatric wards. The COVID-19 pandemic added pressures to already overstretched services. Understanding experiences during this period is vital to inform strategies for future emergencies. To investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on admissions to local, at-distance or adult psychiatric units, from the perspectives of young people, parents/carers and healthcare professionals. Multi-methods data were collected from February 2021 to September 2022, as part of the Far Away from Home research programme. A 13-month national surveillance study collected information about admissions to general adolescent units >50 miles from home, out-of-region or to adult psychiatric units. Free-text data from respondents (n = 51) were analysed using content analysis. Interviews with young people (n = 30), parents/carers (n = 21) and healthcare professionals (n = 68) were analysed using thematic analysis. Restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic affected young people's contact with others; the requirement to self-isolate on admission and following overnight leave felt distressing, and visiting was limited. This disincentivised overnight leave, leading to some discharges being delayed and others feeling rushed and high risk. The COVID-19 pandemic also accelerated the introduction of virtual meetings, enabling community teams and families to be more involved in therapies, meetings and decision-making. Restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic were often negatively perceived. However, the increased use of technology was felt to be positive, widening inclusion and mitigating some negative effects of distance on admissions.

Development and Evaluation of a Care Needs Scale for Parents of Children With Tourette Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Tourette syndrome (TS) is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that begins in school-age children. Although TS is not life-threatening, the tics and comorbidities can impact a child's physical and mental health, as well as interpersonal interactions. Understanding the care needs of parents of children with TS is essential for providing healthcare services that effectively support these children. The aim of the study was to develop and evaluate the psychometric properties of the care needs scale for parents of children with TS (CNS-PCTS) in Taiwan. METHODS: This study used a methodological design. The scale was developed by preliminarily identifying relevant items and dimensions through a systematic review of the literature. A pilot test with 30 participants and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) confirmed the subscales and items pertaining to the care needs of the parents. Data analysis included content validity, item analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and EFA. The Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was adopted to assess the discriminant validity of the CNS-PCTS. RESULTS: Two hundred fifty-six parents of children with TS completed the scale. The scale-level content validity index was 0.92. The EFA revealed that the CNS-PCTS consisted of 13 items, with the factor loadings ranging from 0.656 to 0.83, and covered 3 factors: getting information about TS, assisting children in social engagement, and obtaining parenting support. The discriminant validity showed a positive correlation between the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the CNS-PCTS. Cronbach's α coefficients of the subscales ranged from 0.89 to 0.94, and the intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.94. CONCLUSION: The CNS-PCTS demonstrated satisfactory psychometric properties. It helps health professionals understand parents' care needs and assess the effectiveness of interventions. Confirmatory factor analysis can be performed in future studies to provide more rigorous validity.

The contribution of Yoga in Lifestyle Disorders in Children’s

This article is meant to deal with stress, sedentary lifestyle and keep oneself happy because today's lifestyle is causing many types of diseases and these diseases are increasing rapidly in children. On an average, 60% of children are suffering from overweight/obesity. Many have at least one additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure, or hyperinsulinemia. Yoga is a medium through which you can stay healthy and happy. Yoga gives you the strength to fight physical diseases, heals your mental health and helps in developing and strengthening the self. and it also has a positive effect on motor, physical, cognitive and social aspects. Surya Namaskar should be done to improve the current life style in children and it helps in improving the physical and mental health of children and also Surya Namaskar is effective in pulmonary functions, respiratory pressure, handgrip strength, endurance and cardiovascular diseases.