Chiang mai: Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHPF) and the Department of Mental Health support family empowerment and build mental resilience through the "Running with Your Child, 4th Edition" event, promoting sustainable mental health for children and youth.
According to Thai News Agency, the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (THPF), in collaboration with the Department of Mental Health and the Rajanagarindra Institute for Child Development, is driving the promotion of mental health in children, youth, and adolescents through positive parenting and the "4th Positive Parenting Fun Run" event at the Animal Battalion, Royal Thai Army Veterinary Department in Chiang Mai Province. This event aims to promote positive parenting coupled with exercise and building strong family relationships, laying the foundation for mental resilience at the family level-a crucial mechanism for achieving good mental health and reducing the risk of long-term mental health problems.
Dr. Nichapa Sawasdikarnon, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Mental Health, stated that the department aims to develop an effective mental health service system coupled with promoting good mental health at all stages of life. Children are seen as invaluable resources for the future development of the country. For children to grow into quality adults, they must have complete development in physical, mental, emotional, social, and intellectual aspects. Parents and families play the most important role in shaping development. Positive parenting is key to holistic child development, especially in the current social context where children and youth face various changes and pressures. Therefore, promoting knowledge and developing child-rearing skills for parents and guardians is necessary. Organizing running events with children provides an opportunity for parents, guardians, and children to spend quality time together, promoting physical and mental well-being, aligning with the country's health policy t hat aims to create quality Thai people at all ages.
Dr. Hathaichanee Booncharoen, Director of the Rajanagarindra Institute for Child Development, stated that the "Run with Your Child" event is designed as a shared learning space for families. Through real-life experiences, it helps parents and guardians develop skills in caring for children with understanding, valuing, and respecting human dignity-a crucial foundation for long-term mental health. The event has received a great response from parents and guardians. The 4th "Positive Parenting Fun Run" attracted over 960 participants, including parents and children aged 2-15, along with 100 volunteers. The event included various activities such as hugs, heartfelt praise, understanding conversations, walking together, and positive parenting. It is hoped that this model activity will be expanded to create more learning spaces for positive parenting across a wider network of partners.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Smith Boonchutima, a member of the Steering Committee for Mental Health Promotion at the Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHPF), stated that ThaiHPF prioritizes the promotion and prevention of mental health issues at all ages. This is achieved through proactive work to strengthen systemic mental health promotion, developing models, knowledge, tools, and learning processes accessible to families and communities. In particular, they focus on laying the foundation from early childhood by supporting positive parenting, a measure identified by the World Health Organization as effective, cost-efficient, and having a long-term impact on the quality of life of children and families. Promoting positive parenting skills is not limited to education; it encompasses empowering parents and guardians to communicate positively, express love and understanding, and build emotionally secure relationships through hugs, touch, appreciation, and quality time together. The 'Running with Your Child' event reflec ts ThaiHPF's role in connecting policy, academia, and the social sector to work together in an integrated manner. This empowers parents and guardians to become key figures in caring for children's mental health, creating a society conducive to quality growth, and concretely reducing the burden of mental health problems in the country in the long term.
The "Running with Your Child" activity is not just about exercise, but a collaborative learning process for families that helps build a foundation in emotional, social, relational, and life discipline development for children, from today into the future. The Thai Health Promotion Foundation (ThaiHPF) supports this collaboration with the Department of Mental Health in developing policies and mechanisms for preventative mental health promotion and enhancing the capabilities of trainers, coaches, and facilitators to expand the care of children and youth on a wider scale.