Reviewed by: Borong Zhou (Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou Medical University)
According to the U.S. Medical Officer, about 20 percent of U.S. children develop a diagnosable mental illness within a year.
In addition, nearly 5 million American children and adolescents suffer from severe mental illness , a disease that severely affects daily life.
First, the most common mental illness in children
Children may suffer from the following mental illnesses:
Anxiety disorders: Children with anxiety disorders are afraid of certain things or situations and develop physical symptoms associated with anxiety (nervousness), such as rapid heartbeat and sweating.
Disruptive behaviour disorder: Children with the disorder often violate rules and are often destructive in organized settings, such as school.
Eating disorders: Eating disorders manifest as the display of strong emotions, attitudes, and abnormal behaviors about things related to weight and/or food.
Dysregulation: This disorder affects behaviors related to the excretion of waste products (feces and urine) in the body.
Affective disorders and tic disorders, etc.:
Affective (emotional) disorders: These disorders, including depressive disorders, are manifested by persistent sadness and/or fickle emotions.
Schizophrenia: This is a serious disease that involves distorted ideas and thoughts.
Tic disorders: The disorder causes patients to perform repetitive, sudden, unconscious, and often meaningless movements (called convulsions), or to make such sounds.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder are usually overactive and have difficulty controlling their impulses and attention, and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is the most common mental disorder in children.
2. Other diseases
Some of these disorders, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia, can occur in both adults and children.
Other disorders (e.g., behavioral and developmental disorders, excretion disorders, learning and communication disorders), although the condition can persist into adulthood, only begins in childhood.
In rare cases, adults develop tic disorders, and it is not uncommon for children to suffer from multiple of these disorders at the same time.
Image source: Stand Cool Helo
3. Symptoms of children's mental illness
Symptoms of mental illness in children vary depending on the type of mental illness, but general symptoms include:
Performance in school changes, such as poor grades despite effort.
Drug and/or alcohol abuse.
Inability to deal with day-to-day issues and activities.
Changes in sleep and/or eating habits.
Excessive complaints of physical illness.
Contempt of authority, absenteeism, theft or destruction of property.
Strong fear of weight gain.
Persistent negative emotions are often accompanied by loss of appetite and thoughts of taking a life.
Often furious.
Lose interest in friends or activities you usually enjoy.
Time alone has increased significantly.
Always overly worried or anxious.
Extremely active.
Persistent nightmares or night terrors.
Persistent defiant or aggressive behavior.
Frequent tantrums.
Hear non-existent sounds or see non-existent objects (hallucinations).
4. Causes of mental illness
The cause of most mental illnesses is unknown, but studies have shown that they may involve a variety of factors, including genetic factors, biological factors, psychological trauma, and environmental stress.
Genetic (genetic) factors: Mental illness tends to occur in families, which means that the tendency to develop psychological disorders may be passed down from parent to child.
Biological factors: Certain psychological disorders are associated with special chemicals called neurotransmitters in the brain.
Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other, and if levels of such chemicals in the body get out of balance or don't work properly, information may not be delivered correctly through the brain, leading to certain symptoms.
Psychological trauma and environmental stress, etc.
In addition, defects or injuries in certain areas of the brain have also been linked to certain mental illnesses.
Psychological trauma: Certain psychological traumas may trigger mental illness, such as:
Suffer from severe emotional, physical, or sexual abuse.
Important deficits in early childhood, such as the loss of parents.
Emotionally and physically neglected.
Environmental stress: Stressful or traumatic events can lead to mental illness in people susceptible to mental disorders.
V. Diagnosis of children's mental illness
Consistent with adults, the diagnosis of a child's mental illness requires the indications and symptoms of a specific disorder, but for children, the diagnostic process can be challenging.
Many of the symptoms and behaviors that are considered psychological disorders, such as shyness, anxiety (nervousness), strange eating habits, and tantrums, can be normal manifestations of a child's development.
Behavior becomes a symptom when it occurs frequently, lasts for a long time, occurs at an unusual age, and causes serious disruption to the normal life of the child and/or family.
If symptoms appear, the doctor will initially evaluate the condition by asking for a complete medical history and performing a physical examination of the child.
While there are currently no laboratory tests that specifically diagnose a psychological disorder, doctors may use a variety of diagnostic tests, such as X-rays and blood tests, to rule out symptoms that arise from a physical illness or side effects of a drug.
Diagnosing Children and Adolescents:
If no physical illness is detected, the child may be referred to a child and adolescent psychiatrist or psychologist who is professionally trained to diagnose and treat mental illness in children and adolescents.
Psychiatrists and psychologists use professionally designed interviews and assessment tools to assess whether a child has a psychological disorder, and doctors make a diagnosis based on the child's symptoms and observations of the child's attitudes and behaviors.
Doctors must rely on descriptions from children's parents, teachers, and other adults to make the diagnosis, as children often have difficulty explaining the problems they are experiencing or having difficulty understanding their symptoms.
6. Treatment of children's mental illness
Mental illness is similar to many medical conditions that require ongoing treatment, and although much progress has been made in the treatment of adult patients with mental disorders, the current treatment options for children's psychological disorders are still not very clear.
Experts are still exploring what treatment options are more appropriate for children with a certain condition, and many children with psychological disorders are currently treated the same as adult patients, including multiple medications.
The most common treatment options are:
Pharmacotherapy: Medication in combination with other treatments is effective in treating many mental illnesses. Drugs often used to treat mental disorders in children include antidepressants, anxiolytics, stimulants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics.
Psychotherapy: It is a kind of psychological counseling that can treat the child's emotional response to mental illness, which is the process of trained psychological professionals to help the child treat the disease.
Symptoms, thoughts, and behaviors are often learned and dealt with through talkative approaches, and children often receive types of psychotherapy such as supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, relationship therapy, group therapy, and family therapy.
Creative therapy: Certain therapies, such as art therapy or play therapy, may help treat mental illness, especially for young children who have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings.
7. Outcomes of children with mental illness
With appropriate early treatment, many children with mental illness can recover completely or successfully manage their symptoms.
While some children may grow into adults with disabilities due to chronic or severe illness, many children with mental illness are able to lead full and prosperous lives.
If your child is showing symptoms of any mental illness, it is important to actively seek treatment. If left untreated, many psychological disorders can persist into adulthood and lead to problems in all aspects of adult life.
Untreated psychological disorders are at high risk for many problems, including alcohol or drug abuse, violent acts or self-destructive behavior, and possibly even suicide.
8. Ongoing research on children's mental illness
To date, most research on mental illness has focused on adult psychological disorders. However, practitioners in the field of mental health are now beginning to pay attention to children's mental illness.
Researchers are analyzing growth and development from both normal and abnormal perspectives, trying to understand how factors affecting growth affect mental health, with the goal of trying to predict and ultimately prevent growth and developmental problems that can lead to mental illness.
One of the key parts of the study is to identify risk factors that increase a child's risk of mental illness.
In addition, practitioners in the field of mental health are calling for further research into therapeutic drugs for children's psychological disorders.
Prevention of mental illness in children
Most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be completely prevented. However, if symptoms are recognized in time and treatment is started early, much of the suffering caused by mental illness can be prevented or minimized.
*The content of this article is a popularization of health knowledge and cannot be used as a specific diagnosis and treatment recommendation, nor is it a substitute for face-to-face consultation by a practicing physician, for reference only.
*The copyright of this article belongs to Tencent Medical Code, unauthorized media reprinting is prohibited, and illegal reprinting will be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. Individuals are welcome to forward to the circle of friends.