Children can be affected by many of the same mental health challenges as adults, such as anxiety or depression. However, these problems can be difficult to identify in children, who don’t always have the communication skills to tell us how they are feeling.

Untreated mental health concerns can have long-term impacts on the health and wellbeing of children. As a parent, it’s important to know the signs so that you can seek early assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. This can make a huge difference to the rest of the lives of children.

Types of child mental health issues

Many mental health disorders can occur during childhood, including:

•  Anxiety
•  Depression
•  Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
•  Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Oppositional defiant disorder
• Conduct disorder

Children may experience nuurodevelopmental conditions that affect their behavior and emotions, such as:

•  Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
•  Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
• Intellectual disabilities
• Communication disorders
• Learning disorder
• Motor disorders such as Tourette’s disorder

Prevalence of mental health challenges in children

National survey data suggests that between 14 and 20% of children in America experience a mental health disorder in any given year . Some of the most common mental health conditions diagnosed in children are:

• Behavior or conduct problems (7.4% of children aged 3-17 years)
• Anxiety (7.1% of children aged 3-17 years)
• Depression (3.2% of children aged 3-17 years)

Signs of mental health challenges in children

It can be hard to know if children are experiencing mental health challenges because they can't always tell us what they're feeling. The following symptoms in your child may benefit from a visit with your pediatrician:

• Complaints about feeling sick or have physical symptoms like stomachaches (that don't have a medical explanation)
• Frequent crying, distress, or tantrums
• Clingy behavior or distress with separation from their caregivers
• Excessive active behavior and difficulty being still
• Difficulty paying attention
• Nightmares, appearing sleepy during the day, sleeping more or less than usual
• Frequent mentions of worries or fears
• Lack of interest in playing with other children, or difficulty forming friendships
• Difficulties at school or struggles with their schoolwork
• Aggressive behavior

If you are concerned about your child's mental health, seek an evaluation from a pediatrician or child therapist. This is of particular importance if the symptoms last longer than two weeks or are interfering with their daily lives at school or home.