While raising children we often worry about their physical well-being. But what about their mental development? It is high time we pay attention to the psychological well-being of children and adolescents. It is very important to diagnose developmental disorders in children at an early age.
The mental health of children is as important as their physical health. The parents must create a friendly and positive atmosphere around them that will mirror in their development as an adult. A parent should be a good listener as well as a keen observer when it comes to the psychosocial development of the child.
There will be a reason behind every single thing a child does. If you ever feel that something is not right about your child don’t panic and jump to hasty conclusions. Be patient and treat your child with compassion. If you think it is out of your control consider approaching a child psychologist.
Child psychology deals with the study of the development of a child from birth to adolescence. This is a broad area of study that pays attention to the physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of children.
A child psychologist tries to study the external and internal factors that influence the child’s development. How a child thinks, learns, behaves, and understands things are studied taking into consideration the individual, social and cultural factors.
Mental health disorders in children are said to be the delays in developing thinking and social skills appropriate to the age. This may affect their behavior and performance at home, school, or other social situations.
Mental health problems in children are difficult to diagnose as they cannot articulate their feelings. Parents should be aware of what they are doing and how they are doing certain things.
Early diagnosis of the problem may benefit from yielding good results for the treatment. Check out some of the common developmental disorders.
Anxiety Disorder
Anxiety disorder in children is a persistent feeling of fear or anxiety. This interrupts them to actively participate in activities at school and other social situations. Parents can help children in overcoming this situation by letting them talk about their anxieties and worries.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
ADHD is the abnormal level of hyperactivity or impulsive behaviors that affects millions of children and even continues into adulthood. Children suffering from ADHD will also have a poor attention span.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
ASD is a neurological disability that appears in children usually before the age of three. This mainly affects speech and nonverbal communication, social and cognitive skills, and behavioral patterns.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders arise out of the obsession with the concept of an ideal body. It involves unhealthy eating habits that are a result of the anxiety about gaining or losing weight. Anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating are some of the major eating disorders that have life-threatening complications.
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is characterized by the inability to get over a traumatic situation for a longer period. It may last for months or years. Anything that reminds the child about the terrifying event will result in having anxiety, nightmares, and emotional distress.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
ODD, as the name suggests, is a tendency to stand oppositional or defiant to society. Children suffering from ODD seem to act defiantly to their parents and other near ones. They are just uncooperative and hostile towards their peers and even cause trouble to others.
Learning and Communication Disorders
Learning and communication disorders are conditions in which children face difficulties in understanding and comprehending things. Children suffering from these disorders have trouble retaining and processing information. Communication becomes a serious issue as they struggle with the choice of words or they can not express themselves through speech.
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a condition in which people lose connection with reality. They start to interpret reality on their own which is considered abnormal. It is characterized by distorted thinking and perception. There will be experiences of hallucinations and delusions. Schizophrenia is rarely diagnosed in children especially those below 13 years.
Depression and Mood Disorders
Depression is the persistent feeling of sadness that makes children uninterested or hesitant to talk to others and demotivates them to perform in activities at school. Depressed children try to cocoon themselves from social situations.
Mood swings are characterized by emotional highs and lows or mixed moods. This mainly occurs in children suffering from bipolar disorder or ADHD.
Conclusion
It is high time we stop focusing only on the physical well-being of our children. They also have a little storehouse of emotions inside them: their mind. We should pay attention to their thoughts and feelings and it is better identifying any difficulty they face at the earliest. Know your child and help them out to get over the troubles they are facing.