Off The Record
Early Warning Signs of A Child With Mental Health Problems
And they can look as normal as the kid on the picture…
The WHO reports that almost 10-12% of all children throughout the globe suffer from mental health problems. While this is saddening, this isn’t surprising, for the present generation has always been tough and insecure in its ambitions for prosperity. With the focus more on money, and economic stability, people somehow forget the impact it has on their children or the next generation.
The WHO reminds us that most of these occur to children who are above the age of 14, which is when most of them undergo puberty. This change in mental health can get very, very serious as they grow older if left untreated for long amount of time. But, it has a catch. Most of them who are suffering from mental health disorder, are afflicted by over diagnosis, which basically means prescribing hard drugs to children that can’t cope up with the strain.
The one problem that always concerns children is that they aren’t able to completely speak out their mind, for they don’t know exactly where the problem is, and secondly because they believe adults won’t consider it as such.
Although CDC has given out a catalog which highlights the diseases or disorders like ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, or having a bipolar nature, it has yet to curb this problem. Thousands of adolescents still commit suicide due to this depression that is not understood by the adults. Even though most of the disorder shows after the age of 14, mental health can be an issue from the age of 3 to the age of 17 in children. And at any point, this might get serious enough that it might cause a huge problem.
Yet, there are some warning signs that teachers and parents should be made aware of because this might give out a signal of turbulence inside a child’s mind:
1. Constant Anxiety
The basic concept of childhood expects a very carefree life. If that is not the case, it means that all is not well. If your child worries about a pop quiz or a class test when he or she is just 3-4 years old, it might be indicative of them undergoing anxiety disorder. Your child might also be an overachiever, but why not be on the safe side?
Dr. Charles Raison, professor of Psychiatry in Arizona, tells us that parents need to be made aware and should always be on guard in case their teenage child is showing symptoms of depression, that is, being unnaturally reserved, quiet, or withdrawn. This might also be just your child’s nature, but it could also indicate depression. Almost 5% of all teenagers go through this.
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2. Drugs
Drug abuse has always been a huge deal in the American structure of education. Students have confessed to smoking, drinking, or taking prescription drugs, that can lead to massive problems in the future. This “dope” way of living does nothing but highlights the depression and anxiety that just lies below the surface. Almost 70% of the students have confided to have smoked once, and 40% of them have claimed to consume alcohol. This only signals the degradation that the education structure is facing, because students have already been symptomatic of depression.
The US Department of Health and Services have claimed that 4 out of 5 children in every school are suffering from a form of mental disorder. This will obviously adversely affect the child, its career, and its education, and indirectly affect the American society.
