According to the Surgeon General, one in five children will have a mental healthcare issue, such as depression or anxiety, by the time he or she is 18. That’s 20 percent.
Yet many pediatricians aren’t always comfortable asking about mental health. Mental health screening should begin when children are school age, as early diagnosis and treatment can improve school performance, interaction with peers and family relationships.
Parents should be on the lookout for changes in the following areas, which may signal a mental health concern:
Parents sometimes believe that adolescence is supposed to be turbulent and that children are supposed to be miserable. While adolescence is certainly a period of change, it shouldn’t be a consistently awful time. Just like people refer to the ‘terrible twos’ of toddler years, by and large, it should be a happy time, with some challenges mixed in. If that’s not the case, mental health screenings should be considered.
Adelaide Robb, MD, is the Chief of the Division of Psychology and Behavioral Health, specializing in pediatric mood disorders, schizophrenia and post traumatic stress disorder. She is an internationally known clinical researcher and has participated in and led multiple therapeutic trials for children with a variety of behavioral and psychiatric conditions.
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Rise and Shine2019-03-29 10:57:032019-07-16 12:26:23Dealing with depression and survivor’s guilt after tragedy
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Rise and Shine2019-02-26 14:21:032019-07-16 12:33:51How to talk to your child about mental health
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Rise and Shine2018-09-26 07:00:442019-07-16 13:39:22Is it anxiety or acting out?
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Rise and Shine2018-09-12 07:00:552019-07-16 13:41:31Dealing with meltdowns
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Rise and Shine2018-06-08 07:00:002019-09-16 09:40:44Thirteen Reasons Why: Talking to your teen about sexual assault
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Rise and Shine2018-06-04 07:00:532019-10-21 09:55:37How to support your LGBTQ+ child
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Rise and Shine2018-05-22 14:30:582019-07-18 12:17:43What you need to know about teen suicide and "13 Reasons Why"
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Rise and Shine2018-03-07 07:00:292019-07-16 14:23:06Helping your teen navigate their emotional landscape
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Rise and Shine2018-02-26 07:00:552019-07-19 11:34:42Do’s and don’ts for parents: Health care advice from a pediatric surgeon
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Rise and Shine2018-01-29 07:00:002019-07-19 11:41:22Could your child have seasonal affective disorder?
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Rise and Shine2017-09-13 13:11:102019-07-19 12:37:32Depression and anxiety in kids: signs and symptoms
Posts from Adelaide Robb, MD
Bullying and adolescent suicide
Is it anxiety or acting out?
Could your child have seasonal affective disorder?
Depression and anxiety in kids: signs and symptoms
Shielding kids from internet bullies