Child and Adolescent Mental Health Problems: What are the Warning Signs?

Mental health is important because it includes how we think, feel, and act as we face life’s situations. It is how we look at ourselves, our lives and the people in our lives. It is how we evaluate options and make choices. Like our physical health, our mental health is important at every stage of life. Many people experience mental health problems at some time during their lives. Like adults, children and adolescents can have mental health problems that interfere with the way they think, feel, and act. These problems are real, painful and can be severe.

Adolescents are under stress to be liked, do well in school, get along with their family, and make important life decisions. Most of these pressures are unavoidable and worrying about them is natural. But if your teen is feeling extremely sad, hopeless or worthless, these could be warning signs of a mental health problem.

Mental health problems are real, painful, and can be severe. They can lead to school failure, loss of friends, drug abuse, violence, family conflict, or suicide. Mental health problems in children and adolescents can be caused by biology, environment, or a mix of both. A variety of signs may point to a possible mental health problem or severe emotional disturbance. Some of them are listed below. Pay attention if a child or adolescent you know:

Is troubled by feeling:

• really sad or hopeless without good reason and the feelings don’t go away;
• very angry most of the time, cries a lot or overreacts to things;
• worthless or guilty a lot;
• anxious or worried a lot more than other young people;
• grief for a long time after a loss or death of someone important;
• extremely fearful – has unexplained fears or more fears than most kids;
• constantly concerned about physical problems or physical appearance;
• frightened that his or her mind is controlled or is out of control.

Demonstrates big changes in behavior, for example:

• does much worse in school;
• loses interest in things usually enjoyed;
• has unexplained changes in eating or sleeping habits;
• avoids friends or family and wants to be alone all of the time;
• daydreams too much and can’t get things done;
• feels life is too hard to handle or talks about suicide;
• hears voices that cannot be explained.

Is limited by:

• poor concentration – can’t think straight or make up his or her mind;
• inability to sit still or focus attention;
• worry about being harmed, hurting others, or about doing something “bad”;
• the need to wash, clean things or perform certain routines dozens of times a day in order to avoid danger;
• thoughts that race--almost too fast to follow;
• persistent nightmares.

Behaves in ways that cause problems, for example:

• uses alcohol or other drugs;
• eats large amounts of food then forces vomiting, abuses laxatives or takes enemas to avoid weight gain;
• continues to diet or exercise obsessively, although bone-thin;
• constantly violates the rights of others or breaks the law without regard for other people;
• does things that can be life threatening.

If there is concern about a child’s or adolescent’s mental health, it is important to get help as soon as possible. When a serious emotional disturbance goes untreated, it can have grave personal, social, and economic impacts on the child and his or her family.

Raising public awareness about children’s mental health issues may lead to earlier recognition of possible mental health problems. Identifying these problems when they first appear may help to keep them from getting worse later. Caring communities working together with service providers can help young people with mental health problems.

For free information about children’s and adolescent’s mental health is available through the Center for Mental Health Services. Call the CMHS Knowledge Exchange Network at 1-800-789-2647; TTY 301-443-9006 or go to www.mentalhealth.org.