Psychosocial development
Promote mental and social development by responding to a child’s needs for care and through talking, playing and providing a stimulating environment.
Psychosocial interventions can improve child psychological development; they should start very early in life. Likewise, successful nutrition interventions can improve not only physical growth but also child development if implemented earliest in life.
When implemented together, psychosocial and nutrition interventions have a greater effect than when implemented individually.
The benefits apply also to the disadvantaged children who live in a poor environment and are at higher risk of malnutrition, illness and poor development.
The main source of physical and emotional care for young children is the family. Counselling parents is an effective approach to help them acquire the necessary skills to feed their children adequately, stimulate their development and be responsive to their emotional and psychological needs.
Large-scale early childhood care and development (ECCD) interventions in developing countries have resulted in improved short- and long-term educational outcomes. To have long-term effects on development, interventions should be intensive and protracted for several years.
Related links:
A critical link – Interventions for physical growth and psychological development. A review
The Lancet child development in developing countries series
