Mental illness in children

What mental illnesses are most common in children?

Children may suffer from the following mental illnesses:

Anxiety disorders: Children with anxiety disorders react to certain things or situations with fear and fear, as well as physical signs of anxiety (nervousness) such as rapid heart rate and sweating.
Disruptive behavior disorders: Children with these disorders tend to defy rules and often behave destructively in structured environments such as school.
Eating disorders: Eating disorders are associated with strong emotions and attitudes, as well as unusual behaviors related to weight and/or food intake.
Elimination disorders: these disorders affect the behavior associated with the excretion of bodily waste (faeces and urine).
Affective (affective) disorders: these disorders, including depression, include persistent feelings of sadness and/or rapid mood changes.
Schizophrenia: This is a serious disorder associated with distorted perceptions and thoughts.
Tic disorders: These disorders cause a person to make repetitive, sudden, involuntary and often meaningless movements and sounds called tics.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD): Children with this disorder are hyperactive and find it difficult to control their impulses and pay attention. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder in children.

Some of these diseases, such as anxiety disorders, eating disorders, mood disorders, and schizophrenia, can occur in both adults and children. Others, such as behavioral and developmental disorders, elimination disorders, and learning and communication disorders, do not begin until childhood, although they may continue into adulthood. In rare cases, tics can develop in adults. It is not uncommon for a child to have more than one disorder.

What are the symptoms of mental illness in children?

Symptoms in children vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the common symptoms include:

Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts
Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
Inability to cope with daily problems and activities
Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
Excessive complaints of physical ailments
Defying authority, skipping school, stealing, or damaging property
Intense fear of gaining weight
Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death
Frequent outbursts of anger
Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy
Significant increase in time spent alone
Excessive worrying or anxiety
Hyperactivity
Persistent nightmares or night terrors
Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior
Frequent temper tantrums
Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)

What causes mental illness?

The exact cause of most mental illness is unknown, but research suggests that a combination of factors may be involved, including heredity, biology, psychological trauma, and environmental stress.

Heredity (genetics): mental illnesses tend to be hereditary, meaning that the likelihood of developing a mental disorder can be passed from parents to their children.
Biology: Some mental disorders are associated with specific chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters help nerve cells in the brain communicate with each other. If these chemicals are out of balance or not working properly, messages may not pass through the brain properly, resulting in symptoms. In addition, defects or injuries in certain areas of the brain are also associated with certain mental illnesses.
Psychological trauma: Some mental illnesses can be caused by psychological trauma, such as;

severe emotional, physical or sexual abuse
Significant early loss, such as the loss of a parent
neglect - both emotional and physical

Environmental stress: stressful or traumatic events can trigger mental illness in a person prone to mental illness.

How are mental illnesses diagnosed in children?

As in adults, mental illness in children is diagnosed on the basis of signs and symptoms that point to a particular disorder. However, this process can be especially difficult for children. Many behaviors that are considered symptoms of mental disorders, such as shyness, anxiety (nervousness), strange eating habits, and tantrums, can occur as part of a child's normal development. A behavior becomes a symptom when it occurs very frequently, lasts for a long time, occurs at an unusual age, or significantly interferes with the child's and/or family's ability to function.

If symptoms are present, the doctor will begin the assessment by taking a complete medical history and examination. Although there are no laboratory tests to specifically diagnose mental disorders, a doctor may use various tests, such as x-rays and blood tests, to rule out medical illness or drug side effects as the cause of the symptoms.

If no physical illness is found, the child may be referred to a psychiatrist or child and adolescent psychologist, mental health professionals specially trained to diagnose and treat mental illness in children and adolescents. Psychiatrists and psychologists use specially designed interview and assessment tools to identify a child with a mental disorder. The doctor bases his diagnosis on reports of the child's symptoms and observations of the child's attitudes and behaviors. The doctor often has to rely on reports from the child's parents, teachers, and other adults because children often cannot explain their problems or understand their symptoms.

How are mental illnesses treated in children?

Mental illnesses, like many other diseases, require constant treatment. Although great strides have been made in the treatment of adults with psychiatric disorders, the treatment of children is not as well studied. Experts are still learning which treatments are best for which conditions in children. At this point, many of the treatment options used for children, including many medications, are the same as for adults. The most commonly used treatment options include:

Medications: Many mental illnesses can be effectively treated with medications in combination with therapy. Medications commonly used to treat psychiatric disorders in children include antidepressants, anti-anxiety medications, stimulants, mood stabilizers, and antipsychotics.
Psychotherapy: Psychotherapy focuses on the emotional response to mental illness. It is a process in which trained mental health professionals help people cope with their illness, often using strategies to understand and manage their symptoms, thoughts, and behaviors. Types of psychotherapy often used with children include supportive, cognitive behavioral, interpersonal, group, and family therapy.
Creative therapy: Some types of therapy, such as art therapy or play therapy, can be helpful, especially for young children who may have difficulty expressing their thoughts and feelings.

What Is the outlook for children with mental illness?

With proper and early treatment, many children can fully recover from their mental illness or successfully control their symptoms. While some children become disabled adults due to a chronic or severe disability, many people with mental illness can lead full and productive lives.

It is very important to seek treatment for your child if they show symptoms of a mental illness. Without treatment, many mental disorders can persist into adulthood and lead to problems in all areas of a person's adult life. People with untreated mental disorders are at high risk of developing many problems, including alcohol or drug abuse, as well as a tendency to violence or self-harm, up to and including suicide.

What research is being done on mental illness in children?

To date, most research on mental illness has focused on mental disorders in adults. However, the psychiatric community has now begun to focus on mental illness in children. Researchers study child development in terms of what is normal and abnormal, trying to understand how developmental factors can affect mental health. The goal is to try to predict and ultimately prevent developmental problems that can lead to mental illness. A key part of this research is identifying risk factors — factors that make a child more likely to develop a mental disorder. In addition, the psychiatric community is calling for more research into drugs used to treat children with mental disorders.

Can mental illness in children be prevented?

Most mental illnesses are caused by a combination of factors and cannot be completely prevented. However, if the symptoms are recognized and treated early, many of the unpleasant and disabling effects of mental illness can be prevented or at least minimized.