Mental health, art and creativity II: develop the child within

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to elevate the importance of complementary views concerning the first years of life as important precursors for personal growth and sustainable mental health. Design/methodology/approach Paper II is a follow up to Paper I. After a short overview, connecting to the previous paper, the focus is on infancy followed by a few overlooked aspects and then a short summary on childhood and adolescence. Finally, some concluding remarks have been provided to put the paper together. Findings The main findings are connected to publications by other authors with insights which could be viewed as either “politically incorrect” or as simply overlooked in present research studies and discussions. Research limitations/implications The author presents his personal perspective on the aforementioned topics. There are contrasting ways to view them. Practical implications A recognition of the importance for a child to experience a “good as possible” infancy and childhood, which could mean to grow up with less use of computers and less influences from social media. Social implications A recognition of the importance parents and other adults have for the socialization of infants, children and adolescents. Originality/value This conceptual paper has compiled complementary views of infancy and childhood which are seldom heard about but are of importance for sustainable mental health.