International Journal of Child Development and Mental Health

The Leadership of School Administrators in Promoting Mental Health among Primary School Students: A Review Article

2025-08-25T09:54:22+07:00

The mental health of primary school students has become increasingly fragile, particularly in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has significantly impacted children’s emotional, social, and cognitive development. While existing studies have explored the roles of teachers and parents in supporting children’s mental health, the role of school administrators remains underexamined, despite its critical importance. School leaders serve not only as policy architects but also as key drivers of safe and supportive learning environments. This review article aims to examine and synthesize current knowledge regarding the leadership roles of school administrators in promoting the mental health of primary school students. The analysis is structured around a multi-dimensional leadership framework, encompassing transformational, instructional, supportive, and distributed leadership models. Furthermore, the article proposes a set of comprehensive administrative strategies, including proactive policy formulation, staff development, the cultivation of a supportive school culture, and the implementation of a whole-school mental health promotion system. These strategies emphasize the necessity of cross-sector collaboration. Ultimately, fostering leadership capacity among school administrators who are attuned to the emotional, social, and cultural contexts of children is essential. Such leadership plays a pivotal role in enhancing student mental well-being and academic achievement in the long term.

ADLs (Activities of Daily Living) in Children: Why Does Occupational Therapy Focus on Daily Routines?

2025-06-18T13:54:32+07:00

Activities of daily living (ADLs) are essential self-care tasks necessary for independent living, including personal care, mobility, and eating. In children, difficulties in performing ADLs can significantly impact their independence, self-esteem, and overall quality of life. Occupational therapy (OT) plays a crucial role in supporting children with ADL challenges by focusing on developing skills related to self-care, feeding, toileting, sleep, and other daily routines. Early intervention is particularly important during childhood, as it can shape the development of cognitive, motor, and social-emotional skills. OT interventions for children may include the use of adaptive techniques, assistive devices, behavioral approaches, and environmental modifications to promote participation and independence. Common challenges in ADLs among children include developmental delays, sensory processing issues, and physical impairments. Additionally, OT interventions often extend to instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) like meal preparation and transportation, which are crucial for children’s transition to independent living. Family-centered practice is fundamental in pediatric OT, ensuring that interventions are tailored to the specific needs of children and their families. Emerging trends such as telehealth and technology-based interventions are shaping the future of pediatric OT, promoting greater accessibility and engagement. This paper highlights the significant role of OT in improving ADL performance, promoting social participation, and enhancing the overall quality of life for children with disabilities.

The Sociopolitical Health Hegemony Theory (SPHHT) of Health and Diseases: Towards a Healthier World

2025-08-20T11:29:33+07:00

The Sociopolitical Health Hegemony Theory (SPHHT) offers a critical reinterpretation of the determinants of health and disease, emphasizing the central role of sociopolitical power structures in shaping population health outcomes. Departing from traditional models that predominantly attribute health disparities to biological, environmental, or isolated social factors, SPHHT argues that health is a politically governed domain where systemic inequalities are both produced and perpetuated through strategic policy decisions and governance practices. Beyond neglect or systemic failure, SPHHT highlights the deliberate compromise of healthcare systems through over-commercialization, where profit motives override public health needs, and policies that, whether by action or omission directly harm populations. SPHHT also exposes the emergence of Hippocratic bioterrorism, wherein healthcare systems and biomedical knowledge are weaponized by governments or dominant institutions to inflict harm under the pretense of care. This theory critiques the prevailing focus on Gross Domestic Product (GDP) as the primary measure of national progress, advocating instead for a model that prioritizes Gross Domestic Happiness (GDH) and genuine citizen well-being. Through the lens of SPHHT, investments in healthcare infrastructure, technological advancements, and mortality management systems are revealed not merely as responses to population needs but as politically motivated strategies that often anticipate and accommodate preventable disease and death rather than eliminate them. By exposing the hegemonic dynamics underlying health governance, SPHHT calls for a paradigm shift toward equitable health systems that center individual and household well-being as the true foundations of a healthier world and true foundations of national development.

A Preliminary Study on Recollected Number of Friends and Bully-Victimization Experience in People with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

2025-07-31T10:35:03+07:00

The present study examined developmental trajectories of friendship formation and bullying victimization among children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) compared to typically developing peers. Data were collected from 29 ASD, 17 ADHD and 27 typically developed participants via self-administered questionnaires assessing participants' background characteristics and retrospective accounts of friendship experiences and bullying victimization across elementary, junior high, and high school periods. The factors associated with the number of friends, and the experience of bullying victimization were explored by a set of statistical analyses. Individuals with ASD and ADHD consistently reported having fewer friends than their typically developing peers from elementary through high school. Additionally, individuals with ASD and ADHD were more likely to experience bullying victimization during junior high school compared to those with typical development. These findings indicate that early adolescence, particularly during junior high school years, constitutes a critical developmental period for social relationship formation in the neurodivergent population, which underscores the importance of targeted interventions for neurodivergent children during this developmental stage.

Resilience Assessment Study in Preschoolers of Bangkok Metropolitan Administration Kindergartens

2025-07-15T09:26:45+07:00

This study aimed to investigate the level of resilience among preschoolers in kindergartens under the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration and to examine the differences in resilience levels among children from diverse backgrounds. The sample consisted of 381 preschoolers selected through convenience sampling, with assessments conducted by their parents. The research instrument was a resilience assessment scale for preschoolers, which encompassed two main factors: (1) Individual factors, including self-esteem, communication skills, optimism, problem-solving skills, empathy, and self-regulation; and (2) Environmental factors, including positive discipline, autonomy encouragement, role model, close-relationships, effective schools, and well-functioning communities. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics—mean, standard deviation, percentage, and frequency distribution—and inferential statistics to test differences based on children's backgrounds. The findings revealed that preschoolers exhibited a moderate to high level of resilience. Notably, environmental factors such as strong relationships and well-functioning communities were particularly prominent, reflecting the foundational role of family relationships in supporting emotional and psychological development among young children in Bangkok. In addition, the study found statistically significant differences in resilience levels among children from different backgrounds, particularly regarding parents’ occupations, such as government officers, full-time parents, and employees. The study highlights the importance of fostering resilience in early childhood through systematic parental engagement and designing development programs tailored to the children’s backgrounds.