Developing a resilience package for vulnerable children

Background: In recent years great efforts have been made to clarify what factors make it more likely that a child will develop mental health problems, and what elements increase the resilience of vulnerable children, and hence protect them from becoming disturbed. With the increase in understanding about the nature of such resilience comes the possibility of developing preventative packages for at-risk groups. Method: Children whose parents have significant depressive illness have been offered a supportive package that seeks to increase their resilience. This focuses on the child's resources, family education and interaction, and community resources and supports for the family to access. Results: Initial results show the package increases social activity, reduces emotionality and helps families become more flexible. Conclusion: Helping children reduce their risk of developing mental health problems is rightly an area of growing importance. This package is a potentially successful way of achieving this by promoting their resilience.