Child Mental Health

Do children have mental health problems?

Anyone, young or old, can have problems with their mental health, so children are just as likely to have psychological disorders as adults.

As an understanding of mental health improves over the years, it becomes clear that many adults who have mental health problems had difficulties when they were children that didn’t receive recognition at the time.

In many cases, untreated childhood mental illness leads to more severe, long-lasting mental health problems in later life. The sooner you spot the signs of a mental health problem in your child and get them started on an appropriate course of treatment, the more quickly they should recover, and the less serious the effects are likely to be.

How do I know if my child has a mental health problem?

It’s not always easy to tell whether challenging behaviors are just a phase in your child’s development or a sign that they need professional help.

It’s true that teens often lack energy as a natural consequence of the physical changes they’re experiencing, and few kids don’t go through a stage of wanting to be left alone as they make the transition into adulthood. However, if any behaviors are sounding an alarm bell, it’s far better to check it out than ignore it.

You know your child as well as anyone, so be guided by your instinct to some extent, and look for signs such as:

• Frequent tantrums
• Intense irritability
• Often mentioning fears or worries
• Frequent unexplained stomach aches or headaches
• Constant fidgeting or hyperactivity
• Sleeping more or less than normal
• Recurring nightmares
• Lack of interest in favorite activities
• Problems playing with other children or making friends
• Struggling academically
• Declining grades
• Compulsive behaviors

Older children and teens could display these symptoms and others, for example, becoming withdrawn and spending more time alone, lacking energy, self-harming, and engaging in risky behavior.

If your child seems to be obsessed with dieting and losing weight or starts to refuse to eat enough, that could be a sign of an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa. Or they may begin binging and making themselves vomit, which indicates bulimia.

How are child mental health problems treated?

Mental illnesses are treatable, and children can recover from their psychological problems with the right help. Americas TMS Center provides specialist services for children who have mental health problems, including:

• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Social phobia 
• Generalized anxiety disorder 
• Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
• Eating disorders
• Depression
• Bipolar disorder 
• Schizophrenia

Depending on the cause of your child’s mental health problem, the Americas TMS Center team could recommend psychotherapy or counseling, medications, genetic testing, TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) or a tailored combination.

If you have concerns about your child’s mental health, call Americas TMS Center today, or schedule an appointment using the online booking tool.