It's easy to know when your child has a fever. A child's mental health problem may be harder to identify, but you can learn to recognize the symptoms. Pay attention to excessive anger, fear, sadness or anxiety. Sudden changes in your child's behavior can tip you off to a problem. So can behaviors like exercising too much, or hurting or destroying things.
Some common mental health problems in children are
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Behavior disorders
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
Mental health problems can disrupt daily life at home, at school or in the community. Without help, mental health problems can lead to school failure, alcohol or other drug abuse, family discord, violence or even suicide. However, help is available. Talk to your health care provider if you have concerns about your child's behavior.
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0004/default.asp
-
Child and Adolescent Mental Health
(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/index.shtml
- Children and Adolescents with Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0006/default.asp
-
Let's Talk Facts about Common Childhood Disorders(American Psychiatric Association) - Links to PDF - http://healthyminds.org/factsheets/LTF-CommonChildhood.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://healthyminds.org/multimedia/commonchildhooddisordersespanol.pdf
- U.S. Kids Take More Psychotropic Drugs Than Europeans(09/25/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69684.html
- Parenting Plays Key Role in Infant's Response to Stress(09/18/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69460.html
- Unproven Therapies Used on Traumatized Kids(09/09/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69049.html
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Effective for Treating Trauma Symptoms in Children and Teens(09/09/2008, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/2008/r080909.htm
- More News on Child Mental Health http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/alphanews_c.html#childmentalhealth
- Checklists for Preliminary Screening(MADI Resource Center) - http://www.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/checklists_table.asp
- Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Comprehensive+Psychiatric+Evaluation§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Screening Tools and Rating Scales(MADI Resource Center) - http://www.massgeneral.org/schoolpsychiatry/screeningtools_table.asp
- When to Seek Help for Your Child(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=When+To+Seek+Help+For+Your+Child§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Your Child's Mental Health: What's Up Doc?(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/ca-0033/default.asp
- 11 Questions to Ask Before Psychiatric Hospitalization of Your Child or Adolescent(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=11+Questions+To+Ask+Before+Psychiatric+Hospitalization+Of+Your+Child+Or+Adolescent§ion=Facts+for+Families
-
Antidepressant Medications for Children and Adolescents: Information for Parents and Caregivers(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/child-and-adolescent-mental-health/antidepressant-medications-for-children-and-adolescents-information-for-parents-and-caregivers.shtml
- Continuum of Care for Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=The+Continuum+Of+Care+For+Children+And+Adolescents§ion=Facts+for+Families
-
Medications(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/medications/complete-publication.shtml
- Mental Health Provider Degrees and Certifications(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/mental-health/MH00077/METHOD=print
- Psychiatric Medication for Children and Adolescents Part I: How Medications Are Used(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Psychiatric+Medication+For+Children+And+Adolescents+Part+I-How+Medications+Are+Used§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Psychiatric Medication for Children and Adolescents Part II: Types of Medications(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Psychiatric+Medication++For+Children+And+Adolescents%3A+Part+II+-+Types+Of+Medications§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Psychiatric Medications for Children and Adolescents Part III: Questions to Ask(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Psychiatric+Medication+For+Children+And+Adolescents+Part+III%3A+Questions+To+Ask§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Psychotherapies+For+Children+And+Adolescents§ion=Facts+for+Families
-
Treatment of Children with Mental Disorders(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/treatment-of-children-with-mental-disorders/summary.shtml
- What Kind of Mental Health Professionals Are Trained to Help Children?(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_MentalHealth.htm
- Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug Free(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://www.family.samhsa.gov/
-
Helping Children and Adolescents Cope with Violence and Disasters: What Parents Can Do(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/helping-children-and-adolescents-cope-with-violence-and-disasters-what-parents-can-do.shtml
-
Helping Children Cope with Crisis: Just for Parents(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) - http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/cope_with_crisis_book/sub11.cfm
- Resources for Helping Children Cope with Trauma and Death(NYU Child Study Center) - Large PDF file - http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/aboutourkids_resources_helping_children_cope_trauma_death
-
Family Guide to Systems of Care for Children with Mental Health Needs(Center for Mental Health Services) - Large PDF file - http://download.ncadi.samhsa.gov/ken/pdf/SMA-4054/SMA-4054.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/sma%2D4054S/
- Age-Related Reactions to a Traumatic Event(National Child Traumatic Stress Network) - Links to PDF - http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/age_related_reactions.pdf
- Behavioral / Mental Health(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.aap.org/healthtopics/behavior.cfm
-
Child and Adolescent Bipolar Disorder(National Institute of Mental Health) - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/child-and-adolescent-bipolar-disorder/summary.shtml
- Children and Adolescents with Anxiety Disorders(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/CA-0007/default.asp
-
Emotional Disturbance(National Dissemination Center for Children with Disabilities) - http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/factshe/fs5txt.htm
Also available in Spanish http://www.nichcy.org/pubs/spanish/fs5stxt.htm
- Major Depression in Children and Adolescents(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/ca-0011/default.asp
- Panic Disorder in Children and Adolescents(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Panic+Disorder+In+Children+And+Adolescents§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Reactive Attachment Disorder(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Reactive+Attachment+Disorder§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Schizophrenia in Children(Mental Health America) - http://www.nmha.org/index.cfm?objectid=C7DF980C-1372-4D20-C8BA1DC89DBEAD32
- Separation Anxiety(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/emotions/feelings/separation_anxiety.html
- Somatoform Disorders(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec23/ch286/ch286m.html
-
Understanding Child Traumatic Stress(National Child Traumatic Stress Network) - http://www.nctsn.org/nccts/nav.do?pid=ctr_aud_prnt_under
Also available in Spanish http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/edu_materials/Entendamoselestrtraumtico.pdf
- Back to School(Mental Health America) - http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/back-to-school--homepage
- Children and Grief(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+And+Grief§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Children of Parents with Mental Illness(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Children+Of+Parents+With+Mental+Illness§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Common Questions about Child and Teen Mental Health(American Psychiatric Association) - http://healthyminds.org/expertopinion20.cfm
- Myths & Facts about Mental Health(Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) - http://allmentalhealth.samhsa.gov/myths_facts.html
-
Partnering with Your Child's School: A Guide for Parents(HSC Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.hscfoundation.org/aboutus/publications/partnering_with_schools_english_guide.pdf
Also available in Spanish http://www.hscfoundation.org/aboutus/publications/partnering_with_schools_spanish_guide.pdf
- Psychiatric Effects of Media Violence(American Psychiatric Association) - http://healthyminds.org/mediaviolence.cfm
- Talking to Kids about Fear and Violence(Mental Health America) - http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/talking-to-kids-about-fear-and-violence
- Talking to Kids about Mental Illnesses(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Talking+To+Kids+About+Mental+Illnesses§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Their House - My House: Raising Your Child in Two Different Homes(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://www.family.samhsa.gov/set/divorce.aspx
- What Every Child Needs for Good Mental Health(Mental Health America) - http://www.nmha.org/go/information/get-info/children-s-mental-health/what-every-child-needs-for-good-mental-health
- Your Child’s Mental Health: Building Self-Esteem in Children(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0048/default.asp
- Your Child’s Mental Health: Moving: Easing the Transition(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0046/default.asp
- Stress-O-Meter(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.bam.gov/sub_yourlife/yourlife_stressometer.html
- Children's Mental Health — Insurance and Payment Issues(American Academy of Pediatrics) - http://www.medem.com/medlb/article_detaillb.cfm?article_ID=ZZZ6FQ868SD&sub_cat=21
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Adolescent Psychiatry(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Adolescent+Psychiatry%22
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Mental Disorders(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=%22mental+disorders%22+%5BCONDITION%5D+AND+child+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D
-
ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Mental Health(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/term=child+%5BAGE-GROUP%5D+AND+%22mental+health%22+%5BALL-FIELDS%5D
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Stability of psychiatric outcomes of low birth weight: a longitudinal... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18762594&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Medical and mental health of children entering the utah foster... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18762506&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Pediatricians' role in providing mental health care for children and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18698191&tool=MedlinePlus
- Child Mental Health -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=mental+disorders[majr:noexp]+AND+(child[mh]+OR+infant[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+(guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Child mental wellness -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=mental+health[majr]+AND+(child[mh]+OR+infant[mh])+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Terms: Child and Adolescent Mental Health(Center for Mental Health Services) - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/publications/allpubs/Ca-0005/default.asp
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Finder(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/child_and_adolescent_psychiatrist_finder/child_and_adolescent_psychiatrist_finder
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - http://www.aacap.org/
- Center for Mental Health Services - http://mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/
- Mental Health America - http://www.nmha.org/
- National Child Traumatic Stress Network - http://www.nctsn.org/
-
National Institute of Mental Health - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/
- Services in School for Children with Special Needs: What Parents Need to Know(American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry) - http://www.aacap.org/page.ww?name=Services+In+School+For+Children+With+Special+Needs%3A+What+Parents+Need+To+Know§ion=Facts+for+Families
- Use of Mental Health Services in the Past 12 Months by Children Aged 4-17 Years: 2005-2006(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db08.htm
- Going to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Therapist(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/going_to_therapist.html
- Storm in My Brain: Kids and Mood Disorders (Bipolar Disorder and Depression)(Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance) - Large PDF file - http://www.dbsalliance.org/pdfs/storm.pdf
- Bullying - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bullying.html
- Child Behavior Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childbehaviordisorders.html
- Mental Health - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealth.html
- Children and Teenagers - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/childrenandteenagers.html
- Mental Health and Behavior - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/mentalhealthandbehavior.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Child Mental Health is the National Institute of Mental Health - http://www.nimh.nih.gov/