MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN 


In our society today, the mental health of children is often overlooked, with the notion that children are as free as air. And they have nothing to worry about.


In contrast, they have moments of fear and distress, sadness and worry, which can hamper the typical way they ought to behave, learn or handle their emotions. Such moments call for no alarm as it is part of the child's growing process to experience fears and worries at different stages of development, which they outgrow with time. But a situation where it becomes extreme and persistent, then calls for concern as something maybe at the stalk.


However, adults sometimes infuse fears and worries in children. Even though they do that with no intention for harm, such acts have the propensity to put the child in unbroken and uncontrolled fear. For example, when a child is constantly frightened by the mention or use of an animal, object or a notion, the child lives in persistent fear of that. Such can spike a mental health disorder in the child if not tackled on time 


The mental health of a child is a dominant factor in the kind of adult he/she becomes. Children raised with a lack of trust grow into insecure adults. Those raised without love are self-centred and aggressive. And those raised in abuse and neglect have low self-esteem.

Therefore, parents and guardians should pay close and intensive attention to the mental wellbeing of the children under their care, to nurture them into stable adults.


In the subsequent articles, I will be discussing MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER IN CHILDREN, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT.  Do well to follow all through, you can through it saves a child's life. Many kids around us are battling with one or two forms of mental health disorder. Identify one today and help him/her become a stable adult. 



MENTAL HEALTH DISORDERS IN CHILDREN, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT.


Mental health disorders are a wide range of mental conditions that affect mood, thinking and behaviour in children. It is also referred to as mental illness.


Some Predominant Mental Health Disorder In Children Includes:


1. Internalizing disorders: they are symptoms that primarily involve thoughts and feelings. 

It can appear in form of Anxiety disorder or Depression 



ANXIETY DISORDER: It is visible when a child does not outgrow fears and worries of places, objects or activities.


Anxiety disorder can be any of the following:

1. Separation anxiety —fear of being away from parents.

2. Phobias—extreme fear for specific things or situations. Eg, dogs, cats, seeing a doctor, police, etc.

3. Social anxiety— being afraid of school or other social places.

4. General anxiety—fears and worries about the future and about bad things happening.

5. panic disorder —repeated episodes of intense fear.


Symptoms 


1. Extreme fear and worry

2. Difficulty in sleeping

3. feeling irritable most times

4. Anger

5. Fatigue and headache.


  • Treatment


1. Consult a mental health professional for a therapy plan suitable for the child.

2. place the child on good nutrition.

3. Get enough sleep.

4. Engage in physical activities.

5. Seek social support.


Therapy plan for children is in two categories;

1. behaviour therapy — for younger children.

2. cognitive-behaviour therapy — for older children.


In summary, Anxiety  can be detrimental to personality development in children. And healing is fast and easy when symptoms are discovered early. 


In all, there's no better therapy than love, care and attention. They are the best preventive measures for anxiety.