LISTEN: Research on childhood adversity shows that kids with unstable environments are more likely to develop mental health disorders and even cardiovascular disease. GPB’s Ellen Eldridge has more.

Boy at a school desk reading with a hand on his head and a pencil in his right hand

For years prior to the pandemic, Georgia struggled to meet the mental health needs of children and youth. Two in five children aged 3 to 17 have trouble accessing the mental health treatment and counseling they need.

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Research on childhood adversity shows that kids with unstable environments are more likely to develop mental health disorders and even cardiovascular disease.

The study from the University of Georgia looked at how environmental unpredictability impacts health. This includes things like kids without family routines, consistent bedtimes and economically stable caregivers, said co-author Kalsea Koss, an associate professor of human development and family science at UGA.

"We were interested in unpredictability in part because it may leave children with a kind of loss of a sense of control," Koss said. "Their ability to make predictions about what will happen next which is really important for self-regulation skills."

UGA's study used data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study (FFCWS) that recruited thousands of families with newborns between 1998 and 2000.

Tags: Georgia  childhood trauma  childhood  University of Georgia