Childhood mental health disorders are a major pediatric health concern. In the USA, nearly 7.7 million children or 1 in 7 kids suffer from at least one treatable mental health disorder. Characterized as a change in the pattern of thinking and feeling, mental health disorders hamper the ability of the affected person to display normal behavior. However, it is hard to identify mental health disorders among children. Children with mental health disorders often display similar behavior as that of a normal child.
Moreover, young children cannot express their emotions like the adults and their psychological problems go unnoticed for a long time. As a result, a lot of valuable time is wasted before they receive proper treatment and their conditions get worse overtime.
Thus, to take necessary action as early as possible it is necessary to understand the types of mental health disorders among children and their symptoms. The following section of the article discusses the common types of childhood mental health disorders and their manifestation in detail.
Common Childhood Mental Health Disorders
There are a plethora of mental health disorders among children. However, most of the disorders do not have recognizable symptoms. As a result, parents often overlooked signs of mental health disorders in their children. Following are some of the most common mental health disorders and their symptoms.
1. Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders among children are defined as a feeling of excessive fears and worries without any definite reasons. This outsized fear and anxiety is extremely crippling and children find it hard to participate and integrate in social life. It hampers their academic performance and social skills. Some of the common symptomatic manifestation of anxiety disorders among children is:
- Inability to concentrate
- Excessive or less eatingÂ
- Throwing tantrums and displaying bad temper
- Feeling fidgety and using toilets frequently
- Being clingy too muchÂ
- Feeling unwell physically
Some of the common diagnoses are social anxiety, general anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders.
2. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
Children suffering from ADHD find it difficult to concentrate on one thing. They are also quite hyperactive and often display impulsive behaviors. These traits are more overt and if you notice any of these problems you must consult behavioral health services for effective treatment. Behavioral health services offer an empathetic and supportive environment for children to express themselves. They make children practice some useful activities like group discussions, art and music therapy and so on. Engaging in these activities under professional guidance helps children to overcome ADHD challenges. Â
3. Depression and Mood Disorders
Depression and mood swing is a common trait and often short-lived. However, prolonged depression and negative mood is a matter of concern and is considered a disorder. Some of the common behavioral displays are low or irritable mood, lack of interest in constructive activities, isolation and so on. These traits seriously impede children’s ability to perform in social life, academically and developing interpersonal skills.
Additionally, bipolar disorders lead to serious mood-swing. Your children might display extreme excitement at one time and extreme depression the next moment. These sorts of extreme mood swings can make them act violently at times. Getting immediate help from a behavioral health specialist is the best solution to such problems.
4. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorders affect children who have gone through violent life situations or abusive experiences in the past. They find it difficult to overcome the fear and anxiety and often get into long-term emotional distress. Behavioral health counselors provide effective treatment to help children to come out of PTSD traits and to lead a normal stress-free life.
Conclusion
The article has discussed some common and treatable childhood mental health disorders and their symptoms. Hope these prove useful for you. Most of the above mentioned conditions are treatable if identified early. So, if you noticed any of the above mentioned symptoms it is safer to consult behavioral health specialists.
