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Friday, April 12, 2019

K - Kids & Mental Health #AtoZ #MentalHealthAwareness

According to the surgeon general, approximately one out of every five children has a diagnosable mental illness. Children can develop the same mental health conditions as adults, but their symptoms may be different.

Children, however, are developing mentally and physically, and their behavior may be difficult to analyze. Actions such as anxiety, anger, and shyness can be a part of developmental growth or a temporary condition rather than an illness. When troubling behaviors occur over a period of time or in a way that disrupts daily life, they are considered symptoms of a disorder.

Studies have shown that these children, if left untreated by a mental health professional, will likely to grow up and repeat these same behaviors with their children.

Children need to have a good mental health status if they are going to live up to their full potential and truly live a life that is filled with positive experiences and the willingness to do what is best for themselves and the people around them. Children with mental health issues will have a difficult time acclimating to different situations.

Some children have to deal with a childhood that is filled with angst, resentment, hatred, distrust, and constant negativity. They have a difficult time coping with their emotions. Many children just naturally feel depressed or have anxiety issues. When these issues are not dealt with in the proper fashion, the children tend to have lower self-esteem and they struggle in the educational environment.



Initial diagnosis is based on reports of behavior from parents, caregivers, and teachers in order to understand how the child functions in different situations. The following disorders are common in childhood:

         Anxiety
         Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
         Eating problems
         Bathroom issues
         Feelings of sadness, or moodiness
         Disruptive behaviour
         Learning disorders, such as dyslexia
         Involuntary movements , or tics
         Schizophrenia, or distorted thoughts and feelings


Some disorders begin in childhood and continue into adolescence and adulthood. Others go away or improve with age, and some begin later in life. Alarmingly, however, 70% of children and young people who experience a mental health problem have not had appropriate interventions at a sufficiently early age.


If they have a warm, open relationship with their parents/caregivers, children will usually feel able to tell them if they are troubled. One of the most important ways parents can help is to listen to them and take their feelings seriously. They may want a hug, they may want you to help them change something or they may want practical help. 


Some tips for parents:

  •          Be aware of your child’s media use - TV, movies, Internet, gaming devices and online games.
  •          Provide time for physical activity, play, and family activities.
  •          Be a role model by taking care of your own mental health: Talk about your feelings. Make time for things you enjoy.
  •          Associate no shame or fear with mental illness.



DISCLAIMER: All the information being provided her has been sourced from the internet and books and some also via personal experiences. It has no medical authentication per se so suggestions if followed must be done in consultation with a trained mental health professional.

References:

This post is a part of April Blogging from A To Z Challenge
You can find all my posts here.







13 comments:

  1. Like you said, it is difficult to identify mental illnesses in kids because it could be just a phase of growing up. Your post is quite informative on the subject.

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  2. In this age with so much information, we as parents try to diagnose and analyze by ourselves a lot. It is important for us to first break the taboo in our minds

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  3. Really kids with mental illnesses? How much of it is imaginary? ANd how can such behaviour be encouraged? We as kids were always told to stop feeling sorry for ourselves and work even harder at being more social, likable etc. Pandering to such things in children can be quite detrimental .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nothing must be labelled imaginary. Working hard,makimg friends and being sociable are good skills but mental health is real in kids too, this isn't pandering it is substantiated by research and medical facts.Please read more.

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  4. Well researched and written. Actually, this is the need of the hour. If children are not given attention then they may stray away. As parents, we should help them whenever possible.

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  5. "Associate no shame with mental illness." Very important.
    I had anxiety as a child, but I don't think anyone recognized what it was until much later. Looking back, I do now, but at the time, it was not very well known that anxiety as a form of mental condition was a thing. People just tended to call me "high strung" or "a very good student" :D

    The Multicolored Diary

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  6. Hi Pooja, mental illness in kids is a very severe problem which should be dealt sensitively. Observations should be made regularly and screen time is an important factor in knowing what they are involved in.

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  7. An informative post. Mental health can be genetic or induced. Proper and early diagnosis may be helpful.

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  8. An informative post! loved it

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  9. Very relevant points raised I must say. Kids these days are under so much pressure. We had a carefree childhood comparatively and I always keep saying keep an eye on their TV and online viewing.

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  10. I agree with most of what you have written in the post. Specially the last point where you say that one should not associate any fear or shame with needing help on issues of mental health. If we can achieve this one milestone, a lot of problems will be solved.

    ReplyDelete

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