Mental Health Issues in Children Spotting the Signs

Children can often develop the same mental health issues as adults, but they tend to display different symptoms, which can make it harder for parents, guardians, and teachers to pinpoint a disorder.

What's more, children's symptoms tend to differ by their age, and they might be unable to articulate their emotions or the cause of their actions.

As it can be hard to identify, many kids will fail to receive the essential treatment they need to recover. To ensure a disorder doesn't slip under the radar, find out how to spot the signs of mental health illness in children.

An Anxiety Disorder

While many children will experience similar worries and fears when they are young, they will often grow out of them over time. They also could interfere with their home life, education, and playtime. If this is the case, a child could receive an anxiety disorder diagnosis.

Common anxiety symptoms in children can include:

• Separation anxiety - a child might be afraid when away from their parents

• An extreme fear about an object or experience, such as a dentist appointment, dogs, or insects

• Fear of the future and bad things happening in their life

• Physical sensations caused by an intense fear, such as difficulty breathing, dizziness, a rapid heartbeat, shakiness, headaches, and sweatiness, to name only a few.

• Anger and irritability

• Trouble sleeping

There are various types of anxiety disorders that a child could be living with, such as generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Children living with anxiety can receive treatment to improve their mental and physical wellbeing, such as:

• Family therapy

• Individual psychotherapy

• Medications

• Behavioral treatments 

• School consultations (e.g. talking to someone with a counseling degree)

By treating an anxiety disorder as soon as possible, a child can enjoy stronger friendships, improved self-esteem, and greater social and academic success. Both parents and educators need to provide children with emotional support, which can support their mental health.

For example, a school counselor can provide a child with emotional support during their time in school. What's more, they can often refer children to a school's mental health counselor or a community resource. It's for this reason why institutions will often require a counselor to obtain a counseling degree, as it will help with children's social and emotional development, which can support their academic performance and future career.

Depression

It has been reported that 3.2% of children between the age of 3 to 17 years old have been diagnosed with depression. That's 1.9 million young people across the United States struggling with feelings of hopelessness and low moods. It also believed that children living with depression will also struggle with another mental health disorder, such as anxiety or behavioral problems.

While children struggling with depression will suffer from similar symptoms to adults, there could be other signs that they are living with the mental health disorder, such as:

• Feelings of sadness, irritability, and hopelessness

• A lack of interest in activities and hobbies

• A change in sleeping pattern - e.g. they might sleep less or more

• A poor attention span

• A change in eating patterns - e.g. eating more or less than usual

• Feelings of worthlessness or guilt

• Low energy levels

• Self-destructive behavior

• Signs of self-harm

It's also possible that some children might make trouble inside and outside of school or they might experience limited motivation. They could then be viewed by others as lazy, naughty, or a troublemaker.

Rather than placing labels onto children, schools must aim to get to the root cause of an issue. As mentioned earlier, schools should hire professionals who have earned a counseling degree, as they will gain the knowledge and communication skills to effectively listen to students, provide helpful direction, and empathize with various circumstances. As a result, their counseling degree will provide them with the tools to help children struggling with depression, or another mental health disorder, to become well-adjusted adults.

In addition to talking to those at school with a counseling degree, a child must discuss their depression with a health provider to receive an effective therapy plan. For example, a mental health professional might recommend behavioral therapy, such as family therapy, child therapy, or a combination of the two. It's also possible they might benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), which can help children to change negative thought processes and develop a more optimistic mindset.

A mental health provider may encourage various changes to a child's lifestyle, such as:

• More physical activity

• Sufficient sleep for their age range 

• A healthier diet

Making tweaks and changes to a child's everyday actions could help them to embrace a predictable routine, which can support their feelings of security. It could also lift their mood and support other treatment recommendations.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

While people often associate post-traumatic stress disorder with veterans, many adults and children from different walks of life can struggle with PTSD. 

Children can develop the problem if they have experienced a severe form of stress, such as the death or potential death of a loved one, a painful injury, a car accident, or an act of violence. If you suspect a child is living with PTSD, you should look for the following symptoms:

• Nightmares

• Sleeping difficulties

• Emotional or angry outbursts when triggering a memory

• Intense sadness or fear

• A lack of positive emotions

• Feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, or numbness

• Irritability

• Denial of an event

• Easily startled and cautious

• Avoiding people or places connected to a trauma

If a child has recently endured a trauma, they must have a solid support system to help them to recover from the event. For example, they might benefit from confiding in a parent or grandparent.

The school also must aim to support a child's emotional wellbeing after a traumatic experience, such as the loss of a family member or friend. For example, a child could benefit from talking to a school professional who possesses a counseling degree. As they may have gained a multidimensional approach to the diagnosis and treatment for children's psychological disorders on a counseling degree program, they could potentially spot the signs of PTSD in a student.

It's also essential they talk to a healthcare professional for evaluation and to receive a potential PTSD diagnosis. While children might not always be forthcoming when talking about their emotions and a painful event, the healthcare provider can encourage children to express their feelings. 

For instance, they might ask them to talk, write, or draw about a stressful event. If they make a PTSD diagnosis, they will need to secure support from a child's parents and school. Possible treatment options often include behavior therapy and medication to reduce their symptoms.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Obsessive-compulsive disorder can overtake a child's everyday thoughts and actions. For example, they might believe something bad might happen if they don't perform a specific action or wear their favorite clothing item. Even if they do attempt to ignore their thoughts, they might still have an urge to perform certain actions. If these unwanted thoughts take up more than an hour of their day, make them upset, and interfere with various activities, they could be living with OCD.

If you're unfamiliar with the symptoms of OCD, they can include:

• Unwanted and repetitive negative thoughts and images (obsessions) that can cause anxiety, distress, and impulses

• Having to think or say something aloud repetitively (e.g. repeating words and/or counting)

• An urge to repetitively perform an action (such as handwashing for a specific length of time or frequency, placing items in a set order, or constantly checking things, such as checking the front door is locked)

• Setting various rules that must be followed in an exact order to make an obsession disappear

Children living with OCD might believe they have to perform the above actions to prevent bad things from occurring, or the rituals could make them feel happier. Yet, these behaviors are often not connected to a specific danger.

If a parent, teacher, or professional with a counseling degree suspects a child is living with OCD, they must ensure a child receives an evaluation from a mental health professional. They can identify if a child's distress or anxiety stems from a traumatic experience or if their fears are caused by their negative thoughts and beliefs. It's also possible that a child is living with another mental health issue that could be causing OCD, such as depression or anxiety.

Following an evaluation and diagnosis, a mental health professional might recommend medication or behavior therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has proven effective for young people living with OCD, as it can help a child to adopt positive thinking. It could also be combined with medication to improve its effectiveness.

Both parents and schools must work together to help a child to manage their emotions and ensure they reach their academic potential. For example, they could benefit from talking to a counselor regularly. A counseling degree can help them to understand the different needs and problems of individuals, so a counselor can provide helpful support during school and will aim to help a student to secure top grades and a rewarding career.

Unfortunately, there is currently a shortage of school counselors, which can make it difficult for every child to receive the help they need. Those looking to improve young people's mental health would, therefore, be smart to consider a counseling degree that could help them to enjoy greater job security and career satisfaction.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common neurodevelopment disorder in children. While it is typically diagnosed during childhood, it will likely last into adulthood. At present, there is no cure for ADHD, but the symptoms can be managed and may improve as a child grows older.

If a child experiences the following symptoms, they could be living with ADHD:

• Daydreaming too much

• Squirming and/or fidgeting

• Losing or forgetting belongings

• Talking too much

• Difficulty maintaining friendships

• Difficulty waiting their turn

• Taking unnecessary risks and making silly mistakes

• Unable to resist temptation

Three types of ADHD will be determined by a child's strongest symptoms:

• Predominantly Inattentive Presentation - they might struggle to pay attention, complete tasks, or follow conversations or instructions.

• Predominantly Hyperactive-Impulsive Presentation - they might talk too much, fidget, experience restlessness, interrupt others, and struggle to wait their turn.

• Combined Presentation - a mix of the above two presentations

It is, however, possible for symptoms to change gradually, which means their presentation will change in time, too. Contrary to popular belief, ADHD is not due to a child watching too much television, consuming excess sugar, poor parenting, or poverty. 

If a child is suspected to have ADHD, there will be several steps that must be undertaken, as the symptoms can be similar to other mental health disorders, such as depression, anxiety, insomnia, and other learning disabilities. For example, they might need to undertake various medical exams, such as vision and hearing tests. Many healthcare practitioners will also have a checklist for ADHD symptoms, and they will review a child's history before making a diagnosis.

Children living with ADHD tend to receive a combination of medication and behavior therapy to manage their symptoms. However, preschool children will often receive only behavior therapy, which will be complemented with close monitoring, follow-up appointments, and appropriate changes to treatment. Plus, they will be encouraged to maintain a healthy diet, perform daily exercise, and receive adequate sleep based on their age.

Conclusion

As mentioned earlier, approximately 1.9 million US children are living with a mental health disorder. While you will undoubtedly be worried about how it can affect a child's quality of life, you will be happy to learn that there are a variety of treatment options to improve a child's quality of life, which can vary from CBT to medication.

It is also imperative to discuss a mental health illness with a child's school, so they can receive the help and support they need each day, such as greater understanding from their teacher to emotional and academic support from a professional with a counseling degree qualification.