Amen Clinics: A Parent's Guide to Children's Mental Health

 


A Parent’s Guide to Children’s Mental Health



Too many children and adolescents with mental health conditions go untreated. Research has found that approximately 70-80% of children with mental health disorders go without

If your child catches the flu or sprains an ankle on the soccer field, you can see visible signs of the problem and you know what to do to treat it. But when it comes to your child’s mental health, it’s not so cut and dried.

A child’s poor behavior or a depressed mood might be attributed to temperament or a developmental phase. Add to that the stigma surrounding mental health disorders and the challenge and expense of addressing them, it’s easy to see how parents may not readily see a problem, as research has found.

Yet, a child’s mental health is paramount to their well-being and success in life. It’s especially important to identify and treat mental health issues early when they start. The National Alliance on Mental Health reports that 50% of lifetime mental disorders start by about age 14, and 75% by age 24.

Allowing a child’s symptoms to go unchecked can increase the chances of failing in school, limit their opportunities to go to college, lessen their ability to get the job they want, and set them up for a lifetime of difficulty in relationships with others. A parent’s worst nightmare, it can lead to suicidal thoughts and behavior.

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