Children in Mind engages with the complexity of child development and provides answers to
questions about how to help children facing risks in a range of contexts . . . An essential aid
for parents, teachers and health professionals.
— Katherine Bain, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, and editor of the journal Psychoanalytic Practice

Jenny Perkel has written a relevant, well-researched and perfectly timed book that serves as
both an up-to-date description of how children’s minds develop and a toolkit to dip into when
needing answers to troubling questions.
— Nicola Dugmore is a Cape Town–based psychologist with a special interest in parent–child
psychotherapy

A unique book that will be great interest and help to parents and all professionals who have
the interests and well-being of children close to their heart.
— Diane Sandler is a Cape Town–based psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist who
specialises in working therapeutically with children, adults and parents.

 

A psychologist looks at whether today’s children and adolescents are more distressed than they used to be, the possible reasons for the increase in diagnosis of childhood mental disorders and some ideas about how to improve children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Current research shows that certain childhood mental disorders are diagnosed more frequently today than in previous generations. Many of today’s children and teenagers are more unhappy, anxious and distressed than young people used to be. In this highly informative book, child psychologist Jenny Perkel explores in depth why this might be so, highlighting what modern-day children and adolescents are experiencing and the environment in which they are being raised.

Children in Mind presents a broad range of up-to-date findings from psychological, neurobiological, genetic, psychiatric, sociological and epidemiological research related to the diagnosis and treatment of children’s mental health problems. Theoretically informed but not theoretically dense, the book cites both local and international studies to increase awareness and understanding of children’s mental health.

Perkel discusses a broad spectrum of issues faced by today’s children and adolescents: the Covid-19 pandemic, the influence of electronic media, diverse family structures, stress and trauma, and difficult socio-economic circumstances. While offering no easy answers or formulaic solutions to the problems of troubled children, she shows how to think about children’s mental well-being in today’s South Africa and other developing countries.

Children in Mind is an invaluable resource for all those who work with troubled children and adolescents. It is suitable for undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as trained professionals in the areas of psychology, psychiatry, child development, social work, education and child health. It is suitable for parents, teachers, child care workers, parent therapists and counsellors.

Acknowledgements
Introduction

PART I THE CLINICAL PICTURE OF CHILDHOOD MENTAL DISTRESS
Chapter 1 What brings today’s children to psychotherapy?
Chapter 2 Childhood psychiatric diagnosis today
Chapter 3 Scared, sad children and their self-protective defences
Chapter 4 Treating today’s troubled children: Paradigm clashes
Chapter 5 New findings about nature versus nurture

PART II THE IMPACT OF MODERN LIFE ON CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Chapter 6 The internet and today’s children
Chapter 7 Childhood adversity today
Chapter 8 Socio-economic considerations: The gap between rich and poor children
Chapter 9 Children of the pandemic
Chapter 10 When children don’t go outside and play
Chapter 11 Today’s parents in mind
Chapter 12 Modern families

Conclusion
Bibliography
Index

Jenny Perkel is a Cape Town-based clinical psychologist in private practice. She is the author of Babies in Mind (2008).

Children in Mind engages with the complexity of child development and provides answers to
questions about how to help children facing risks in a range of contexts . . . An essential aid
for parents, teachers and health professionals.
— Katherine Bain, is Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Witwatersrand,
Johannesburg, and editor of the journal Psychoanalytic Practice

Jenny Perkel has written a relevant, well-researched and perfectly timed book that serves as
both an up-to-date description of how children’s minds develop and a toolkit to dip into when
needing answers to troubling questions.
— Nicola Dugmore is a Cape Town–based psychologist with a special interest in parent–child
psychotherapy

A unique book that will be great interest and help to parents and all professionals who have
the interests and well-being of children close to their heart.
— Diane Sandler is a Cape Town–based psychoanalyst and clinical psychologist who
specialises in working therapeutically with children, adults and parents.