In recent years, the mental health of children and adolescents has moved from the margins to the center of public debate. Far from being an emerging issue, Child and adolescent mental health has historically been made invisible, especially in contexts of social vulnerability. However, in daily work with minors in situations of protection, reform, or social conflict, it becomes increasingly evident that psychological suffering permeates most intervention processes.
Conduct disorders, suicidal ideation, dissociative symptoms, self-harm, early substance use or severe emotional dysregulation are not isolated manifestations, but forms of expression of trauma or deep suffering that requires being read, understood and accompanied from a professional approach.
Socio-educational intervention does not replace clinical approaches, but it fulfills an irreplaceable function: it can detect complex processes early, contain them without pathologizing them, and sustain them while the appropriate therapeutic response is developed.
From behavior to symptom: a necessary look
In residential, judicial, or community settings, symptoms of mental illness are often expressed as "misbehavior": aggression, impulsiveness, extreme isolation, defiance of rules, or self-destructive behavior. However, these signs cannot be understood solely from the paradigm of discipline or behavioral control.
A professional intervention must make the transition from the superficial to the profound., from behavior to meaning. To achieve this, it is essential that educational, technical, and social teams incorporate a psychodynamic and neuroaffective perspective, allowing them to:
- Understanding the child's survival responses (hyperarousal, avoidance, freezing).
- Recognize that disruptive behavior is often the nonverbal language of trauma.
- Replace the moral interpretation (“he doesn’t want to”, “he doesn’t care”, “he manipulates”) with a professional interpretation (“he can’t”, “he doesn’t know how”, “he’s defending himself”).
Warning signs: when we should activate support mechanisms
Educational or social professionals do not diagnose, but they must know how to identify when a child needs a clinical evaluation. Some relevant signs that require observation and coordination with the technical team:
Changes in behavior:
- Loss of interest in previously rewarding activities.
- Sudden withdrawal or prolonged social isolation.
- Extreme agitation, impulsiveness, or disproportionate aggression.
Physiological alterations:
- Persistent insomnia, night terrors, or constant fatigue.
- Unusual eating behaviors: extreme restriction, binge eating, or self-induced vomiting.
- Serious neglect of hygiene or self-neglect.
Risk behaviors:
- Self-harm, suicidal thoughts or attempts (even if not clearly verbalized).
- Early substance use or as a form of emotional regulation.
- Uninhibited or dangerous sexual behavior.
Communication and cognition:
- Verbal expression of hopelessness, emptiness, or self-hatred.
- Incoherent speech, hallucinations or delusional ideas.
- Dissociation: feeling of not being in the body, blank stare, emotional disconnection.
These signs should be recorded, shared with the team in a non-alarmist manner, and—if they persist or worsen—warrant a clinical evaluation by child and adolescent mental health professionals.
Educational containment: intervening without invading or medicalizing
One of the fundamental functions of the social-educational professional is to provide emotional support to children in crisis. Support does not mean controlling, calming at all costs, or applying corrective sanctions. Contain is:
- Stay with the child without judgment, even if he or she is engaging in disruptive behavior.
- Provide calm without demanding calm: “I can handle this with you.”
- Name what's happening without invading: "You seem to be overwhelmed, do you want me to stay here?"
- Be predictable: maintain clear, non-contradictory boundaries, and don't overreact.
Furthermore, emotional containment also implies a capacity for self-regulation on the part of the professional: not responding from the emotional impact, but from a stabilizing place. Therefore, Working with mental health also requires training in:
- Emotional regulation in adults.
- Burnout prevention.
- Technical and emotional supervision.
We recommend the Postgraduate in Intervention with Minors if you want to specialize in mediation with minors.
The derivation: when, how and where
Detecting a potential mental health problem doesn't require clinical intervention, but rather activating the appropriate referral protocols. The success of a referral doesn't depend solely on making a phone call or completing a report; it requires coordination, follow-up, and understanding of institutional boundaries.
Key aspects for an effective referral:
- Build a complete clinical history: not just the symptoms, but also the family context, trauma history, observed changes, and remedies that have already been tried.
- Avoid premature labels: "he's bipolar," "he's schizophrenic." It's better to talk about warning signs, dysfunctions, or dysregulation.
- Include the minor in the process, whenever possible, from a rights-based perspective: explain what will be done, who will be in contact with them, and how their privacy will be protected.
- Support referrals with educational support, especially in more complex or chronic cases. Referring doesn't mean letting go.
In emergency cases (imminent suicide risk, acute psychosis, extreme dysregulation), the corresponding health protocol must be activated, with the support of the technical team, and detailed records of the actions must be kept.
Networking: Health, Education, Protection and Reform
The mental health of minors in vulnerable contexts cannot be addressed through a single system. The success of any clinical intervention depends on the existence of a coordinated network which includes:
- Child and adolescent mental health services.
- Child protection or juvenile justice teams.
- Educational centers.
- Stable families or emotional references.
- Educational and technical staff of residential or therapeutic resources.
A common misconception is that once referred, the case "moves" to mental health care. In reality, the approach must be collaborative, respecting the roles of each system but coordinating goals, pace, and support.
Caring for mental health from an educational perspective is possible (and necessary)
Faced with a generation of minors increasingly exposed to trauma, emotional precariousness and life uncertainty, Socio-educational work plays a crucial role in early detection, emotional support and institutional support of care.
It's not about psychologizing everything. It's about understanding that what the child expresses makes sense, that mental health isn't built solely through clinical consultations, and that a trained, knowledgeable, and committed educator or social professional can be the first link in the chain of recovery.
Training in mental health from an educational perspective is, today more than ever, a requirement for professional quality and social justice.
