Chronic Stress: How the Boys and Girls Club of America Can "Be Great" in the Promotion of Mental Health

Abstract

I will introduce you to the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA), explaining why it is a particularly robust venue for improving the lives of its beneficiaries. I will detail for you precisely what is happening to the brains of disadvantaged children as they continue to live their lives and what methods developed by the medical field are potentially viable methods for winning this mental battle. I will attempt to incorporate these methodologies with what is in existence at Boys and Girls Clubs and posit new programs that could continue to serve the mental health of these children. Finally, I will tell you why this is necessary. Throughout this discussion, I emphasize the role that this intervention can play in real children’s lives. Not only does it promote healthier living, but it may eventually save lives by preventing permanent mental disorder and facilitates the opportunity to escape poverty. [From Introduction]