Teen Self Help
Child and Adolescent Mental
Health
by: Arthur
Buchanan
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.
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
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