Nancy Heath Tells CBC How to Help Kids Build Resilience

While kids may be resilient, the pandemic is testing the limits of that resilience.

Children and teens are dealing with a toxic cocktail of stressors and it's hurting them. According to a study from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, 70 percent of children and youth surveyed experienced a deterioration of mental health in the first wave of the pandemic.

Yet there are some simple, proven strategies that can help children cope, even if caregivers and parents feel they're not coping so well themselves, said Nancy Heath, a professor of educational and counselling psychology and associate dean of research and innovation in the faculty of education at McGill University in Montreal.

"If you give the overarching message to your child that you love them, even if you're a bit of a wreck yourself and you believe that they will get through this and you will be OK, then they will have that solid foundation to navigate. They'll be OK," she told Dr. Brian Goldman, host of The Dose and White Coat, Black Art.

Read the complete CBC aritcle here, with helpful practical tips for resilience-building strategies.