Mental Health Issues In Children

We are facing a lot of advancements in our Society. Change is inevitable but it is happening too fast. If we look at the last ten years there have been enormous changes in the way we deal, think and progress in life. We as adults are facing a lot of trouble and overlooking that our kids are also suffering with us. There are few mental health issues that particularly affect the younger ones in our vicinity. Mental health can be very critical to the overall wellbeing of the kids. It similar to poor performance in exams due to fever or any other physical illness. As teachers, educators and parents let us be on the watch out and look at it in greater detail.

Most Common mental health issues in children are:

Anxiety:

In anxiety, a person experiences tension and fear without any specific reason. Anxiety is one of the most common mental health problem experienced by children. This is demonstrated by students keeping away from classes for the long duration of time. They are unable to finish their assignments on time due to fear of failing in exams. In anxiety people overanalyze everything. Keep a check on the expectations that you put on the child and understand when the burden is getting unbearable.

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder:

The warning signs for this include, short attention spans, easy distractibility, hyperactivity, and talking too much. This disorder has a devastating impact on the students’ ability to learn and remain in the classroom. Educators should refer the child’s condition to the parents and mental health practitioners at the earliest.

Autism Spectrum Disorders:

This includes a range of disorders. The symptoms range from difficulties in social interactions, repetitive behavior, inability to understand verbal or nonverbal communication etc. The child will generally be withdrawn and aloof. This can range from mild to severe such as, Asperger’s syndrome.

Depression:

Symptoms include absenteeism, a general decline in interactions and a lack of motivation. Family members should look out for symptoms, like isolation, sleepiness, excessive or decreased appetite and suicidal tendencies.

Oppositional Defiant Disorder:

Students show signs of hostility, negativity, aggression towards teachers and other students. They often tend to challenge classroom rules and blame other classmates. Anger is a major symptom and often unpredictable.

These are only a few of the issues that children face. But, There are much more;  we will be covering them in the next blog on the same topic.