How children think, feel, and act in order to face the situation in a child’s life is mental health. It is how children look at themselves, their lives, and the people they care about. It helps them determine how to handle stress, social challenges, evaluate options, and solve problems. Like physical health, mental health is important and needs to be taken seriously. Mental health problems affect one in every five young people. An estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems are not receiving the help they need.  Serious emotional disturbances affect 1 in every 10 young people at any given time. Without help, such mental health problems can lead to school failure, alcohol or other drug abuse, family discord, violence or even suicide.

Mental Health Problems in Children

It is easy for parents to recognize when a child has a physical illness. Child mental health problems are often more difficult to identify. There is no thermometer to check mental health problems. Like physical illnesses, the parent who learns how to recognize the symptoms of poor mental health in their child, often has a better chance of helping the child through the illness. A trained medical doctor can diagnose mental health problems.   Some common mental health problems in children include depression, anxiety, conduct disorder, eating disorders and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders (ADD/ADHD).

Most children and adolescents have short periods of emotional stress.  A loss of a pet, not making a team, getting a poor grade and other disappointments may cause sadness, but these situations are usually not form of mental illness. A child’s mental health has no relationship with their intellectual capacity or abilities.

Program Cures For ADD/ADHD

The Causes of Mental Health Problems in Children

All the causes of mental health problems in children are not known. What is known, in most cases, is that the causes of mental health problems in children are environmental and biological. The examples of environmental factors may include experiencing death, trauma, abuse, neglect, lead poisoning, toxic pollution and more. Examples of biological causes are genetics, chemical imbalances, and damages to the central nervous system.

Many environmental factors can put children at risk. For example, children who are exposed to violence, abuse, neglect, lead poisoning, or loss of loved ones through death, divorce, or broken relationships are more at risk for mental health problems. Other risk factors include rejection because of race, sexual orientation, religion, or poverty.

What Parents Can Do

1. The first step a parent needs to take when they feel their child is experiencing a mental health issue is to contact their family medical doctor or pediatrician.  Your doctor may refer your child to a psychiatrist and or child psychologist.
2. Schools offer special education as a support services to meet the unique needs of children and adolescents who have on-going mental health issues as well as the needs of children who have physical health problems. Note that not everyone serviced by a special education program has a mental health problem. Likewise, not every child or adolescent with a mental health problem receives special education.