PerSoN

Mental Health Problems Among Child And Adolescents

Article
2022-06-06 3 mins

For children and adults, mental well-being is important to ensure their overall health. However, many adults who are suffering from some mental health problem have been left undiagnosed and untreated in their childhood and adolescence. Therefore it is suggested that a young person with symptoms of mental problems should be treated as early as possible to get effective results. Moreover, early treatment can help reduce the risk of chronic diseases as the child grows up.

Signs of Mental Health Problem:

Sometimes as the child grows up, the hormonal imbalance in his body can make him frustrated and irritable. So it becomes difficult to figure out the reason for his troubling behavior. But if this annoying behavior of your child lasts for weeks or even months, and it affects his daily functioning at home and school, it is the time to talk to a health professional.

Below are the signs of young children that signal they require evaluation and treatment:

  • Have annoying behavior and remain irritable for the most of the day
  • Often express fear and worries
  • Frequently complains about the headaches and stomachaches that are not supported by any medical cause
  • Keep moving and can’t sit peacefully except when playing games or watching their favorite TV show
  • Getting inadequate sleep or sleeping too much. Always feel tired
  • Face difficulty in social interaction and can’t make friends easily
  • Constantly struggling in the school or experiencing a continuous decline in their grades
  • Repeatedly perform similar actions or check the things many times out of fear that something bad may happen to them

The warning signs of older children and adolescents showing that they need evaluation are:

  • Have completely lost interest in their favorite hobbies that they used to enjoy
  • Always feel low and tired
  • Experience sleep disturbances, either sleep too much every night or too little
  • Hesitant in making new friends and completely avoid social interactions
  • Exercise regularly and becomes extremely conscious about their diet out of fear of gaining weight
  • Engage themselves in self-destructive habits. For example, hitting themselves or burning the skin
  • Use alcohol, cigarettes, and other drugs to get relief
  • Get involved in harmful activities with their friends
  • Have frequent thoughts of death and suicide
  • Becomes hyperactive sometimes and sleeps fewer hours than usual
  • Complain that they think someone is controlling their mind and body or they hear voices that a normal person can’t hear

Finding Help:

Mental health problems are treatable. So if you are the one affected by the mental illness, talk to your parents, counselor, or psychiatrist. Or if you are a parent and your child is experiencing the problem, talk to your child, his pediatrician, or your family doctor for help.

Many mental health clinics offer counseling for the parents and children to help them deal with the situation. Online counseling and virtual counseling sessions are offered to help you manage the situation as soon as possible.

The bottom line:

Mental disorders are becoming common in children and adolescents. If these problems are not addressed or treated on time, they can develop into chronic diseases. If your child shows any symptoms of mental problems, talk to a psychiatrist and seek professional help. Go for regular counseling sessions for quick results.

All information in this article is written based on the publication of The National Institute of Mental Health, a U.S based federal agency that researches mental disorders. The experts of NIMH provide information on mental health problems and the latest mental health research.

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/