EXPERIENCE OF STRESS IN CHILDHOOD: CAUSES AND WAYS TO OVERCOME
Abstract
The article highlights the main reasons for experiencing stress in childhood, factors that influence the manifestation of stress in a child, and possible ways to overcome it. An analysis of research by Ukrainian and foreign scientists on the issue of childhood stress is conducted. Special attention is paid to the cognitive-emotional regulation of mental exhaustion, the role of family and society in a child’s experience of stressful situations. Prospects for studying childhood stress in modern psychology are identified. The main factor in the increase in stress levels in Ukrainian children is war and its consequences. Economic instability limits the ability of children to receive quality education (staying in shelters and bomb shelters instead of studying), receive qualified medical care and psychological support (currently there are too few child psychologists in Ukraine who have experience working during martial law). Parents who are also stressed due to unemployment or financial difficulties or the loss of loved ones may unconsciously transmit their negative experiences to their children.
Thus, stress in children living in Ukraine is a multifactorial phenomenon, which is formed under the influence of experiences of military operations, aggravated by economic instability, problems in the field of education, family conflicts and a negative information environment. Studies by Ukrainian psychologists confirm that without proper psychological support, children's stress can develop into serious mental disorders in adulthood. To reduce the level of stress, it is necessary to introduce comprehensive psychological assistance programs, develop a system of emotional support in schools, increase the level of psychological literacy of parents and control the information space in which children are. Only in this way can healthy psycho-emotional development be ensured and the negative consequences of stress be reduced.
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