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Happy Childrenās Day 2024: Mental illnesses in children that need prompt diagnosis and treatment
There are significant mental health problems in children. According to experts, children show clear features of anxiety disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders, depression, neurodevelopmental disabilities like autism and even eating disorders. That said, young children react to and process emotional experiences and traumatic events very differently from adults, so they require different types of care and treatment. Read on to know more.
While young children may not be able to express how they feel or explain why they are behaving in a certain way, it becomes difficult for parents to understand.
Childrenās mental health conditions are similar to those of adults and can be difficult for doctors to identify. However, children differ from adults because as they move through their natural growth and development, they experience many physical, mental, and emotional changes. They are also in the process of learning how to deal, adapt, and connect with others and the world around them.
While young children may not be able to express how they feel or explain why they are behaving in a certain way, it becomes difficult for parents to understand. Also, each child matures at his or her own pace, and what is considered ānormalā in children falls within a wide range of behavior and abilities. And hence, it is important that any mental health problem should be diagnosed in time for the treatment to be effective.
Common mental health disorders in children
Some mental health disorders in children may include the following:
autism spectrum disorder
Autism spectrum disorder or ASD is a neurological and developmental disorder that causes social, communication, and behavioral challenges in children. While ASD can be diagnosed at any age, doctors say the first symptoms typically appear in the first two years of life.
Children with these issues are often confused in their thinking and have trouble understanding the world around them. Cases can be mild, severe, or somewhere in between. Doctors say early diagnosis means treatment can start sooner.
adhd
ADHD, or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, causes problems in children with attention and concentration, following instructions and routines, staying organized, regulating mood, and controlling hyperactivity.
ADHD is a long-term brain condition that causes executive dysfunction, which impairs a childās ability to manage their own emotions, thoughts, and actions. If not treated timely, ADHD can potentially lead to many long-term complications including poor self-esteem, depression, anxiety, sleep problems, eating disorders, and substance abuse disorders.
Schizophrenia
Even though it is uncommon in children, schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects their emotions and behavior. It may result from a mixture of hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking.
While childhood schizophrenia is essentially the same as the condition in adults, it begins earlier in lifeāusually in adolescenceāand has a profound impact on the childās overall personality. With childhood schizophrenia, the young age of onset presents particular challenges for diagnosis, treatment, education, and emotional and social development.
Worry
Anxiety in children occurs when worries take over their lives in response to a potential threat. Although these fears are usually short-lived and show that children are learning to solve problems on their own, the signs should not be taken lightly.
According to experts, one in five children will develop what doctors consider an anxiety disorder. Childhood anxiety disorders differ from normal phobias or anxiety because they involve more extreme avoidance, larger emotional reactions, or lasting longer than expected. Children with anxiety disorders often have emotional outbursts, such as crying or tantrums, and also show extreme avoidance.
Apart from these, there are also many physical symptoms of anxiety, such as stomach ache, headache, nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath or sleep problems.
eating disorders
Teens are more vulnerable to eating disorders, which can lead to major health problems like anorexia, bulimia or binge eating ā most of which are devastating to the digestive and reproductive systems in the adult years.
According to experts, even though eating disorders develop during adolescence or early adulthood, they can sometimes begin in childhood. Girls are generally more vulnerable as only 5-15 percent of men suffer from anorexia or bulimia. Children with eating disorders typically suffer from anxiety, fear of becoming overweight, feelings of helplessness, and low self-esteem.
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