The Importance of Children’s Mental Health

Adults aren’t the only people that need mental health services. Children can suffer mental health issues like depression, anxiety, and other conditions, just like adults. If your child suffers from mental health issues, a pediatrician is an important member of your child’s healthcare team.

Children often deal with life’s stressful events. Adults have coping skills and experience that makes dealing with these events easier. Children don’t have the same resources to draw from. Life’s stressful events can have a huge impact on a child’s mental health.

Children often suffer from depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions because of:

• Moving
• Changing schools
• Losing friends
• Death of a close family member

Your child can benefit from children’s mental health services if your child is having:

• Difficulty in school
• Anxiety about going to school
• Anxiety about participating in social activities
• Frequent aches and pains
• Fits of temper or rage
• Frequent nightmares
• Thoughts about self-harm or suicide

If you notice any of the signs or symptoms listed above, your pediatrician can perform a mental health screening for your child, to help identify potential mental health issues.

These are some of the mental health issues your pediatrician can identify and help treat:

• Fear and anxiety disorders
• Sleeping and eating disorders
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Manic depression and clinical depression

Your pediatrician can counsel your child on healthy ways to cope with stress and stressful events. There are also several effective ways your pediatrician can treat mental health issues, including:

• Medications to manage anxiety, depression, and other conditions
• Counseling about coping mechanisms to deal with stressful situations
• Relaxation techniques to help manage stress

Children’s mental health issues can be managed effectively, with a little help from your pediatrician. Your pediatrician may also provide counseling on diet and exercise, so your child has the best chance for a healthy, happy life. To find out more about the importance of children’s mental health and how your pediatrician can help, call your pediatrician today.