Dr. Katie Lingras Sparks Conversations on Mental Health Between Kids and Adults in New Children's Book
Dr. Katie Lingras Sparks Conversations on Mental Health Between Kids and Adults in New Children's Book
Published as part of the “A Kids Book About” series, Dr. Lingras’ book introduces children to the concept of mental health as a part of our everyday lives.
Dr. Katie Lingras, an associate professor and child psychologist at the University of Minnesota Medical School, is passionate about early childhood mental health, and her contributions to the field are making a significant impact in Minnesota and beyond. With a focus on children aged 0 to 6, Dr. Lingras has dedicated her career to serving kids and parents and the systems that support families navigating mental health challenges. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Lingras is the author of A Kids Book About Mental Health, a book designed to introduce young children to the concept of mental health in an accessible and developmentally appropriate way.
“Kids can understand topics that we often think might be too complicated,” she explains. “The book is a way to start a conversation, introduce the idea of mental health, and open the door to discussions with a grown-up.”
A Kids Book About Mental Health is part of a larger series published by A Kids Company, a publisher known for tackling tough topics for children. Dr. Lingras describes the series as one that "takes seriously some big topics for kids and treats kids with a type of respect that you don’t often see." She was drawn to the opportunity to contribute to the series because it aligns with her own work of helping children talk about difficult subjects.
"Kids are ready to have these conversations," she says. “Part of the purpose is to introduce some of this language so that they have a language for mental health. And, if and when mental illness becomes relevant for them or a loved one -- whether it is in elementary school, middle school, high school, college -- they have a language for that too.”
Dr. Lingras' book specifically addresses the idea that mental health is something everyone has and experiences, regardless of whether or not they have a diagnosable mental illness.
"A lot of the time, we start talking about mental health when there is the presence of mental illness, or something goes off track. One of the things I really wanted to highlight was these two different axes—mental health and mental illness," she explains. "You can have positive mental health or poor mental health, with or without a diagnosable condition."
The distinction helps children understand that mental health is a part of everyday life, not just something discussed when things go wrong.
A Kids Book About Mental Health is intended for children ages five to nine, but Dr. Lingras notes that it can be used with children as young as two or three, or even with older children and adults.
"It’s written in a way that a three-year-old might have fewer questions, but that’s part of the point, to introduce these ideas and have a conversation, rather than to be an exhaustive exploration of the topic," she explains.
For Dr. Lingras, the book is a natural extension of the work she has been doing for years. She frequently collaborates with early childhood educators and primary care providers to deliver training and consultation on recognizing and addressing mental health concerns in young children.
"Most young kids don’t start out coming to a psychiatrist’s office. They start out in primary care, going to their pediatrician, or in a preschool program, where somebody notices something’s going on," she explains.
Dr. Lingras’ community-centered approach helps ensure that more children receive the support they need early on, and she is also dedicated to helping kids talk about other big topics, like racism and discrimination.
While Dr. Lingras hasn’t yet used her book directly in her clinical work, she has read it with children in her personal life, and the principles it teaches are already a part of her practice.
“My favorite part of my job is thinking about complicated topics and making those into bite-sized pieces that kids can understand,” she says. “It’s seeing that light bulb moment, either with the child or with the adults, of ‘Oh wow! This is actually something I can handle [for parents]! This is something we can talk about!’”
As Mental Health Awareness Month encourages families to talk more openly about emotional well-being, A Kids Book About Mental Health offers a helpful way to begin those conversations with children. A Kids Book About Mental Health can be purchased at major book retailers like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Bookshop.