The Importance of Prioritizing Children’s Mental Health

We see the headlines every day. The mental health crisis among kids is more prevalent than ever. It’s been five years since the global pandemic stopped the world in its tracks, five whole years for humanity to return to some sense of normalcy, and according to the Centers for Disease Control rates of behavioral health conditions among youth have been escalating at an alarming rate since the pandemic. Healthcare professionals are seeing clinically elevated rates of depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorders and suicidal ideation symptoms at twice the frequency of pre-pandemic levels.

Kids are resilient, but this is not simply a matter of flipping a mental switch. Many returned to school post pandemic struggling with paranoia, fear and anxiousness, even grief – and many continue to struggle today. The quality of the environment where children and adolescents grow up shapes their well-being and development. Social distancing and isolation hit the developmental ‘pause button’ for nearly two years – and deprived children and adolescents from acquiring cognitive and social-emotional skills that shape their future mental health.

Surprisingly, a large chunk of the population still does not outwardly accept mental illness as a common dilemma. Even though an estimated 1 in 5 adults will experience some form of mental illness each year - affecting their thoughts, feelings, moods, relationships with others and their ability to function each day. For children ages 6 to 17, 1 in every 6 experience a mental health disorder. These are crisis levels.

As a result, the need for comprehensive mental health services has never been greater.

The numbers indicate there are not enough mental health specialists to provide proper behavioral health support to all children in need. Access to quality care is limited across most of the country, leading to wait times as long as six months and detrimental gaps in care. Perhaps this is due to increased awareness of mental health concerns among youth, improved and increased referrals from doctors, greater willingness among young people to seek help and reduced access to free group counseling, ministries and other ancillary mental health services in the community.

Either way access to non-hospital services that can treat mental health issues must be increased via a national commitment to expanding community-based mental healthcare services for young people. Without the right programs to help kids manage their feelings, new mental health issues may develop, or existing conditions may get worse.

Early Detection Is The Key

Mental illness in children can be hard for parents to notice – as typical childhood growth is a process that involves change. Young children may not be able to express how they feel or explain why they are behaving a certain way. Parental concerns about the stigma linked to mental illness, the use of medicines, the cost of treatment or problems getting help also play a factor. As a result, many children who could be helped by treatment don't get the help they need.

Parents must be relentless at breaking through these barriers if they truly care about the well-being of their children and young adults. Continuing to ignore the signs, coupled with failure to intervene early and address risk factors head-on, is a formula for horrific consequences like suicide, incarceration, homelessness, and dropping out of school:

• Suicide: Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 10 to 24-year-olds in the U.S., with about 13 lives lost every day and 4,600 lives lost each year.
• Incarceration: Of the more than 600,000 youth placed in juvenile detention centers annually, 65 to 70% have diagnosable mental health disorders.
• Homelessness: The National Alliance to End Homelessness estimates that approximately 550,000 unaccompanied youth and adults under 24 experiences at least one week of homelessness each year.
• School Drop-out and Job Loss: On average, 43% of students with an emotional disturbance graduate from high school.

When we add up these losses of life and human potential, we see the incredibly high cost of not acting early. The statistics outlined above do not even include other bad outcomes, like losses in productivity, damage to relationships, and losses in life satisfaction as a whole.

The good news is with early detection, intervention, diagnosis and treatment, families across America can breathe easier knowing their children are on a better path to living healthier and happier lives

Be on the Lookout for These Common Warning Signs

Mental health conditions in children are most often defined as delays or changes in thinking, behaviors, social skills or control over emotions. These problems distress children and disrupt their being able to act well at home, in school or in other social settings.

We often see children and adolescents start to struggle in school. Students as early as elementary or middle school quite often show signs of anxiety disorder, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and even depression or other disorders:

• Anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders in children are outsized fears or worries that are hard to control. These worries disrupt children's being able to take part in play, school or social activities. Diagnoses include social anxiety, generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorders.
• Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Compared with most children of the same age, children with ADHD have trouble with paying attention, acting on impulse, being too active, called hyperactivity, or some mix of these problems.
• Autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological condition that appears in early childhood, often before age 3. How severe ASD is varies. But children with this disorder have trouble talking with and connecting with others.
• Depression and other mood disorders. Depression is lasting feelings of sadness, low or irritable mood, and loss of interest in typical activities. These get in the way of a child being able to do well in school and interact with others. Bipolar disorder results in big mood swings between depression and extreme emotional or behavioral highs. These highs can cause risky or unsafe actions.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PTSD is long-term emotional upset, worry, scary memories, nightmares and acting out. This is in response to violence, abuse, injury or other traumas a child has had or encountered.

When it comes to warning signs that a child may have a mental health disorder, there are plenty to look for, but it is important to remember that not all children who experience these symptoms have a mental health disorder. Warning signs include:

• Sadness that lasts two or more weeks.
• Changes in being social or staying away from others.
• Hurting oneself or talking about hurting oneself.
• Talking about death or suicide.
• Having outbursts or being very moody or testy.
• Out-of-control behavior that can be harmful.
• Big changes in mood, behavior or personality.
• Changes in eating habits.
• Loss of weight.
• Trouble sleeping.
• Getting headaches or stomachaches often.
• Trouble concentrating.
• Doing poorly in school.
• Not going to school.

When To Seek Help / Next Steps

If you are concerned or have questions about your child's mental health, consult a mental health specialist. Describe the behaviors that concern you. Talk to your child's teachers, close friends, relatives or other caregivers to see if they've noticed changes in your child's behavior – and share this information with your child's specialist.

Working with a mental health specialist can help find the right recipe for treatments and techniques to develop a care plan specifically tailored to your child and family. A specialist will diagnose and treat conditions based on symptoms and how the condition affects a child's daily life. Working with a specialist might require:

• Complete medical exam.
• Medical history.
• History of physical or emotional trauma.
• Family history of physical and mental health.
• Review of symptoms and concerns with parents.
• Timeline of how the child has matured.
• School history.
• Talking with parents.
• Talking with the child and watching the behavior.
• Mental health tests and questionnaires for the child and parents.

Diagnosing mental illness in children can take time. Young children may have trouble knowing or saying how they feel. But once a diagnosis of the condition is determined, common treatments include:

• Talk Therapy, also called psychotherapy or behavior therapy, involves talking with a mental health specialist. With young children, it may include playtime or games. During talk therapy, children and teens learn how to talk about and manage thoughts and feelings. They learn new behaviors and coping skills.
• Medicines. Your child's mental health specialist may suggest a medicine as part of the treatment plan. This medicine might be a stimulant, an antidepressant, or an anti-anxiety medicine – depending on desired benefits, possible risks and potential side effects.

As parents, you can also play a huge role in helping your child cope with mental illness and supporting their treatment plan by:

• Learning about the illness.
• Asking the mental health specialist for advice on how to handle tough behavior.
• Enrolling in training programs designed for parents of children with a mental illness.
• Identifying ways to handle stress and respond calmly in moments of tension.
• Seeking ways to relax and have fun with your child.
• Praising your child's strengths and skills.
• Working with your child's school to get the support your child needs.

Keep the Faith & Trust the Process

This much we do know with absolute certainty: These conditions are fully treatable. There are proven effective treatments available that can help children enhance their emotional wellness and get them on the trajectory to a positive life.

In Mississippi, to combat the limited access to mental health specialists, TrustCare Health’s Mental Health and Wellness Services provide accessible, high-quality mental health support for adolescents and adults, with minimal wait times, if not same-day appointments

Make The First Step With Us

Program Administrator Thomas Howington, MSN, RN, PMHNP-BC has an exceptional reputation for diagnosing, treating and managing mental health disorders for patients of all ages, including children and adolescents with a history of Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, depression, and mood disorders.

He can help with any questions or concerns about your child’s emotional or behavioral health. To learn more or schedule a secure virtual visit or in-person appointment with him, click here.