Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Mental Health Is Important
Mental health is how people think, feel, and act as they face
life's situations. It affects how people handle stress, relate
to one another, and make decisions. Mental health influences the
ways individuals look at themselves, their lives, and others in
their lives. Like physical health, mental health is important at
every stage of life.
All aspects of our lives are affected by our mental health.
Caring for and protecting our children is an obligation and is
critical to their daily lives and their independence.
Children and Adolescents Can Have Serious Mental Health Problems
Like adults, children and adolescents can have mental health
disorders that interfere with the way they think, feel, and act.
When untreated, mental health disorders can lead to school
failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence, and even
suicide. Untreated mental health disorders can be very costly to
families, communities, and the health care system.
In this fact sheet, "Mental Health Problems" for children and
adolescents refers to the range of all diagnosable emotional,
behavioral, and mental disorders. They include depression,
attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety, conduct,
and eating disorders. Mental health problems affect one in every
five young people at any given time. "Serious Emotional
Disturbances" for children and adolescents refers to the above
disorders when they severely disrupt daily functioning in home,
school, or community. Serious emotional disturbances affect 1 in
every 10 young people at any given time.
Mental Health Disorders Are More Common in Young People than
Many Realize.
Studies show that at least one in five children and adolescents
have a mental health disorder. At least one in 10, or about 6
million people, have a serious emotional disturbance.
The Causes Are Complicated
Mental health disorders in children and adolescents are caused
mostly by biology and environment. Examples of biological causes
are genetics, chemical imbalances in the body, or damage to the
central nervous system, such as a head injury. Many
environmental factors also put young people at risk for
developing mental health disorders. Examples include:
Exposure to environmental toxins, such as high levels of lead;
Exposure to violence, such as witnessing or being the victim of
physical or sexual abuse, drive-by shootings, muggings, or other
disasters; Stress related to chronic poverty, discrimination, or
other serious hardships; and The loss of important people
through death, divorce, or broken relationships.
Signs of Mental Health Disorders Can Signal a Need for Help
Children and adolescents with mental health issues need to get
help as soon as possible. A variety of signs may point to mental
health disorders or serious emotional disturbances in children
or adolescents. Pay attention if a child or adolescent you know
has any of these warning signs:
A child or adolescent is troubled by feeling:
Sad and hopeless for no reason, and these feelings do not go
away. Very angry most of the time and crying a lot or
overreacting to things.
Worthless or guilty often.
Anxious or worried often.
Unable to get over a loss or death of someone important.
Extremely fearful or having unexplained fears.
Constantly concerned about physical problems or physical
appearance.
Frightened that his or her mind either is controlled or is out
of control.
A child or adolescent experiences big changes, such as:
Showing declining performance in school.
Losing interest in things once enjoyed.
Experiencing unexplained changes in sleeping or eating patterns.
Avoiding friends or family and wanting to be alone all the time.
Daydreaming too much and not completing tasks.
Feeling life is too hard to handle.
Hearing voices that cannot be explained.
Experiencing suicidal thoughts.
A child or adolescent experiences:
Poor concentration and is unable to think straight or make up
his or her mind.
An inability to sit still or focus attention. Worry about being
harmed, hurting others, or doing something "bad".
A need to wash, clean things, or perform certain routines
hundreds of times a day, in order to avoid an unsubstantiated
danger.
Racing thoughts that are almost too fast to follow. Persistent
nightmares.
A child or adolescent behaves in ways that cause problems, such
as:
Using alcohol or other drugs.
Eating large amounts of food and then purging, or abusing
laxatives, to avoid weight gain.
Dieting and/or exercising obsessively.
Violating the rights of others or constantly breaking the law
without regard for other people.
Setting fires.
Doing things that can be life threatening.
Killing animals.
Comprehensive Services through Systems of Care Can Help Some
children diagnosed with severe mental health disorders may be
eligible for comprehensive and community-based services through
systems of care. Systems of care help children with serious
emotional disturbances and their families cope with the
challenges of difficult mental, emotional, or behavioral
problems. To learn more about systems of care, call the National
Mental Health Information Center at 1-800-789-2647, and request
fact sheets on systems of care and serious emotional
disturbances, or visit the Center's web site at
http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov
Finding the Right Services Is Critical
To find the right services for their children, families can do
the following:
Get accurate information from hotlines, libraries, or other
sources.
Seek referrals from professionals.
Ask questions about treatments and services.
Talk to other families in their communities.
Find family network organizations.
It is critical that people who are not satisfied with the mental
health care they receive discuss their concerns with providers,
ask for information, and seek help from other sources.
Important Messages About Child and Adolescent Mental Health:
Every child's mental health is important. Many children have
mental health problems. These problems are real, painful, and
can be severe. Mental health problems can be recognized and
treated. Caring families and communities working together can
help. Information is available; call 1-800-789-2647.
This is one of many fact sheets on children's mental health
disorders. All the fact sheets listed below are written in an
easy-to-read style. Families, caretakers, and media
professionals may find them helpful when looking for information
about mental health disorders. For free copies, call
1-800-789-2647, or visit http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov