PAEDIATRICS MENTAL HEALTH
Norm Wright tenderly and skillfully equips parents to help children cultivate a healthy response to life’s many pains and sorrows
WHAT IS CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH?
Learn more about mental health, mental disorders, treatments, prevention, and public health research on children’s mental health.
Being mentally healthy during childhood means reaching developmental and emotional milestones and learning healthy social skills and how to cope when there are problems. Mentally healthy children have a positive quality of life and can function well at home, in school, and in their communities.
Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which cause distress and problems getting through the day. Many children occasionally experience fears and worries or display disruptive behaviours. If symptoms are serious and persistent and interfere with school, home, or play activities, the child may be diagnosed with a mental disorder.
Mental health is not simply the absence of a mental disorder. Children who don’t have a mental disorder might differ in how well they are doing, and children who have the same diagnosed mental disorder might differ in their strengths and weaknesses in how they are developing and coping, and in their quality of life. Mental health as a continuum and the identification of specific mental disorders are both ways to understand how well children are doing.
What does World Mental Resilience Programs (WMRP) have to offer?
Research by World Mental Resilience Programs in psychology has contributed to the development of more effective promotion, prevention, and treatment approaches for children and families, including programs targeting expectant mothers, children in school settings, and children transitioning into adulthood and programs working at the following levels:
- Individual (e.g., therapy or counseling for those with mental health disorders)
- Peer (e.g., peer-assisted learning programs aimed at improving reading, math, and science)
- Family (e.g., parent education on the needs of children at each stage of development)
- School (e.g., strategies for teachers supporting social and emotional development)
- Community (e.g., violence prevention programs administered through community/recreational centers or churches)
- Systemic (e.g., coordination of services in the health, juvenile justice, education, and child protection systems)
WMRP Psychologists working with children are also trained to consider developmental pathways for:
- Identity
- Emotions
- Social engagement
- Cognition
- Physical and brain growth
Culture, ethnicity, and language also influence the behaviour of children in numerous ways and as a result affects the methods of mental health promotion and the prevention and treatment of mental health disorders.
WMRP Psychologists have developed tools to assess the risk and protective factors for the mental health of children, to test for behavioural or emotional problems, to deliver treatment when needed, and to continually monitor treatment progress.
World Mental Resilience Programs (WMRP) have also designed programs that effectively engage families, schools, and communities, that is, the critical social supports that can guarantee lasting well-being for children. For example, one successful family-centered program aimed at decreasing alcohol use in preteens engages parents and caregivers by training them on parenting skills such as setting limits, expressing clear expectations about substance abuse, communication, and discipline while also simultaneously training children on resistance skills and how to develop negative attitudes toward alcohol.
What are common childhood mental disorders?
Among the more common mental disorders that can be diagnosed in childhood are attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety (fears or worries), and behaviour disorders.
Learn more about childhood mental disorders, symptoms, and treatment.
Other childhood disorders and concerns that affect how children learn, behave, or handle their emotions can include learning and developmental disabilities, autism, and risk factors like substance use and self-harm.
Read more about related conditions.
What are the symptoms of childhood mental disorders?
Symptoms of mental disorders change over time as a child grows, and may include difficulties with how a child plays, learns, speaks, and acts, or how the child handles their emotions. Symptoms often start in early childhood, although some disorders may develop during the teenage years. The diagnosis is often made in the school years and sometimes earlier; however, some children with a mental disorder may not be recognized or diagnosed as having one.
Can childhood mental disorders be treated?
Childhood mental disorders can be treated and managed. There are many treatment options based on the best and most current medical evidence. Parents and doctors should work closely with everyone involved in the child’s treatment—teachers, coaches, therapists, and other family members. Taking advantage of all the resources available will help parents, health professionals, and educators guide the child towards success. Early diagnosis and appropriate services for children and their families can make a difference in the lives of children with mental disorders.
Who is affected?
Childhood mental disorders affect many children and families. Boys and girls of all ages and ethnic/racial backgrounds and living in all regions of the United States experience mental disorders. Based on the National Research Council and Institute of Medicine report, which gathered findings from previous studies, it is estimated that in 2007, 13–20% of children living in the United States (up to 1 out of 5 children) experienced a mental disorder in a given year, costing individuals, families, and society an estimated $247 billion per year.
What is the impact of mental disorders in children?
Mental health is important to overall health. Mental disorders are chronic health conditions—conditions that last a long time and often don’t go away completely—that can continue through the lifespan. Without early diagnosis and treatment, children with mental disorders can have problems at home, in school, and in forming friendships. Mental disorders can also interfere with a child’s healthy development, causing problems that can continue into adulthood.
Public health includes mental health
Supporting children’s mental health also includes making sure children meet developmental milestones, understanding what to do when there is a concern, supporting positive parenting strategies, and improving access to care.
CDC works with partner agencies to better understand mental health and mental disorders and the impact they have on children.
Read more about research on children’s mental health.
What you can do?
Parents: You know your child best. Talk to your child’s healthcare professional if you have concerns about the way your child behaves at home, in school, or with friends.
Youth: It is just as important to take care of your mental health as it is to take care of your physical health. If you are angry, worried or sad, don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings and reach out to a trusted friend or adult.
Healthcare professionals: Early diagnosis and appropriate treatment based on updated guidelines are very important. There are resources available to help diagnose and treat children’s mental disorders.
Teachers/school administrators: Early identification is important so that children can get the help they need. Work with families and healthcare professionals if you have concerns about the mental health of a child in your school.
Children’s Mental Disorders
Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions, which cause distress and problems getting through the day.
Click on these links to learn more about selected disorders, including symptoms, treatment, and what can be done to prevent them:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
- Conduct Disorder (CD)
- Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
- Tourette Syndrome
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Other conditions and concerns that affect children’s learning, behaviour, and emotions include learning and developmental disabilities, autism, and risk factors like substance use and self-harm. Read more about related conditions.
ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION IN CHILDREN
Did you know?
The World Mental Resilience Programs Preventive Services Taskforce recommends screening for anxiety in children and adolescents.
Learn about the recommendation: Community Preventive Services Task Force: Learn about recommendations for school-based cognitive behavioural therapy to reduce depression and anxiety symptoms.
Many children have fears and worries, and may feel sad and hopeless from time to time. Strong fears may appear at different times during development. For example, toddlers are often very distressed about being away from their parents, even if they are safe and cared for. Although fears and worries are typical in children, persistent or extreme forms of fear and sadness could be due to anxiety or depression. Because the symptoms primarily involve thoughts and feelings, they are sometimes called internalizing disorders
When a child does not outgrow the fears and worries that are typical in young children, or when there are so many fears and worries that they interfere with school, home, or play activities, the child may be diagnosed with an anxiety disorder. Examples of different types of anxiety disorders include:
- Being very afraid when away from parents (separation anxiety)
- Having extreme fear about a specific thing or situation, such as dogs, insects, or going to the doctor (phobias)
- Being very afraid of school and other places where there are people (social anxiety)
- Being very worried about the future and about bad things happening (general anxiety)
- Having repeated episodes of sudden, unexpected, intense fear that come with symptoms like heart pounding, having trouble breathing, or feeling dizzy, shaky, or sweaty (panic disorder)
Anxiety may present as fear or worry, but can also make children irritable and angry. Anxiety symptoms can also include trouble sleeping, as well as physical symptoms like fatigue, headaches, or stomach-aches. Some anxious children keep their worries to themselves and, thus, the symptoms can be missed.
Related conditions include Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Learn more about anxiety in children
Occasionally being sad or feeling hopeless is a part of every child’s life. However, some children feel sad or uninterested in things that they used to enjoy, or feel helpless or hopeless in situations they are able to change. When children feel persistent sadness and hopelessness, they may be diagnosed with depression.
WMRP Preventive Services Task Force: Learn about recommendations to screen adolescents for depression
Examples of behaviours often seen in children with depression include:
- Feeling sad, hopeless, or irritable a lot of the time
- Not wanting to do or enjoy doing fun things
- Showing changes in eating patterns – eating a lot more or a lot less than usual
- Showing changes in sleep patterns – sleeping a lot more or a lot less than normal
- Showing changes in energy – being tired and sluggish or tense and restless a lot of the time
- Having a hard time paying attention
- Feeling worthless, useless, or guilty
- Showing self-injury and self-destructive behaviour
Extreme depression can lead a child to think about suicide or plan for suicide. For youth ages 10-24 years, suicide is among the leading causes of death. Read about youth suicide prevention.
Some children may not talk about their helpless and hopeless thoughts, and may not appear sad. Depression might also cause a child to make trouble or act unmotivated, causing others not to notice that the child is depressed or to incorrectly label the child as a trouble-maker or lazy. Learn more about depression in children
Learn about the guidelines for diagnosing and treating anxiety and depression in children and adolescents
The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider such as your child’s primary care provider, or a mental health specialist, about getting an evaluation. The WMRP Preventive Services Taskforce recommends screening for anxiety in children aged 8 to 18 years and for depression in adolescents aged 12 to 18 years. Some of the signs and symptoms of anxiety or depression in children could be caused by other conditions, such as trauma. Specific symptoms like having a hard time focusing could be a sign of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It is important to get a careful evaluation to get the best diagnosis and treatment. Consultation with a health provider can help determine if medication should be part of the treatment. A mental health professional can develop a therapy plan that works best for the child and family. Behaviour therapy includes child therapy, family therapy, or a combination of both. The school can also be included in the treatment plan. For very young children, involving parents in treatment is key. Cognitive-behavioural therapy is one form of therapy that is used to treat anxiety or depression, particularly in older children. It helps the child change negative thoughts into more positive, effective ways of thinking, leading to more effective behaviour. Behaviour therapy for anxiety may involve helping children cope with and manage anxiety symptoms while gradually exposing them to their fears so as to help them learn that bad things do not occur.
Treatments can also include a variety of ways to help the child feel less stressed and be healthier like nutritious food, physical activity, sufficient sleep, predictable routines, and social support.
Contact World Mental Resilience Programs for all your Children’s Mental Health Services offered by Psychologists, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, Counsellors and Social Workers.
For Onsite and Online Consultations: consultations@wmrprograms.com
Call/WhatsApp: +263 738 058 191
Being healthy is important for all children and can be especially important for children with depression or anxiety. In addition to getting the right treatment, leading a healthy lifestyle can play a role in managing symptoms of depression or anxiety. Here are some healthy behaviours that may help:
- Having a healthy eating plan centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (for example, beans, peas, and lentils), lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds
- Participating in physical activity for at least 60 minutes each day
- Getting the recommended amount of sleep each night based on age
- Practicing mindfulness or relaxation techniques
It is not known exactly why some children develop anxiety or depression. Many factors may play a role, including biology and temperament. But it is also known that some children are more likely to develop anxiety or depression when they experience trauma or stress, when they are maltreated, when they are bullied or rejected by other children, or when their own parents have anxiety or depression.
Although these factors appear to increase the risk for anxiety or depression, there are ways to decrease the chance that children experience them. Learn about public health approaches to prevent these risks:
- Suicide Prevention
- Bullying prevention external icon
- Child maltreatment prevention
- Youth violence prevention
- Depression after birth
- Caring for children in a disaster
- Adolescent and School Mental Health
BEHAVIOUR OR CONDUCT PROBLEMS IN CHILDREN
Children sometimes argue, are aggressive, or act angry or defiant around adults. A behaviour disorder may be diagnosed when these disruptive behaviours are uncommon for the child’s age at the time, persist over time, or are severe. Because disruptive behaviour disorders involve acting out and showing unwanted behaviour towards others, they are sometimes called externalizing disorders.
Oppositional Defiant Disorder
When children act out persistently so that it causes serious problems at home, in school, or with peers, they may be diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD). ODD usually starts before 8 years of age, but no later than by about 12 years of age. Children with ODD are more likely to act oppositional or defiant around people they know well, such as family members, a regular care provider, or a teacher. Children with ODD show these behaviours more often than other children their age.
Examples of ODD behaviours include:
- Often being angry or losing one’s temper
- Often arguing with adults or refusing to comply with adults’ rules or requests
- Often resentful or spiteful
- Deliberately annoying others or becoming annoyed with others
- Often blaming other people for one’s own mistakes or misbehaviour
Learn more about ODD
Conduct Disorder
Conduct Disorder (CD) is diagnosed when children show an ongoing pattern of aggression toward others, and serious violations of rules and social norms at home, in school, and with peers. These rule violations may involve breaking the law and result in arrest. Children with CD are more likely to get injured and may have difficulties getting along with peers.
Examples of CD behaviours include:
- Breaking serious rules, such as running away, staying out at night when told not to, or skipping school
- Being aggressive in a way that causes harm, such as bullying, fighting, or being cruel to animals
- Lying, stealing, or damaging other people’s property on purpose
Learn more about CD
Treatment for disruptive behaviours disorders
Starting treatment early is important. Treatment is most effective if it fits the needs of the specific child and family. The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider. A comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional may be needed to get the right diagnosis. Some of the signs of behaviour problems, such as not following rules in school, could be related to learning problems which may need additional intervention. For younger children, the treatment with the strongest evidence is behaviour therapy training for parents, where a therapist helps the parent learn effective ways to strengthen the parent-child relationship and respond to the child’s behaviour. For school-age children and teens, an often-used effective treatment is a combination of training and therapy that includes the child, the family, and the school.
Get help finding treatment
Contact World Mental Resilience Programs for all your Children’s Mental Health Services offered by Psychologists, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, Counsellors and Social Workers.
For Onsite and Online Consultations: consultations@wmrprograms.com
Call/WhatsApp: +263 738 058 191
Managing Symptoms: Staying Healthy
Being healthy is important for all children and can be especially important for children with behaviour or conduct problems. In addition to behavioural therapy and medication, practicing certain healthy lifestyle behaviours may reduce challenging and disruptive behaviours your child might experience. Here are some healthy behaviours that may help:
- Engaging in regular physical activity, including aerobic and vigorous exercise
- Eating a healthful diet centered on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (for example, beans, peas, and lentils), lean protein sources, and nuts and seeds
- Getting the recommended amount of sleep each night based on age
- Strengthening relationships with family members
Prevention of disruptive behaviour disorders
It is not known exactly why some children develop disruptive behaviour disorders. Many factors may play a role, including biological and social factors. It is known that children are at greater risk when they are exposed to other types of violence and criminal behaviour, when they experience maltreatment or harsh or inconsistent parenting, or when their parents have mental health conditions like substance use disorders, depression, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The quality of early childhood care also can impact whether a child develops behaviour problems.
Although these factors appear to increase the risk for disruptive behaviour disorders, there are ways to decrease the chance that children experience them. Learn about public health approaches to prevent these risks:
- Positive parenting strategies for young children
- Positive parenting tips
- Child maltreatment prevention
- Youth violence prevention
- Bullying prevention
- Mental health in adults
- Finding high quality child care
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER IN CHILDREN
Many children occasionally have thoughts that bother them, and they might feel like they have to do something about those thoughts, even if their actions don’t actually make sense. For example, they might worry about having bad luck if they don’t wear a favourite piece of clothing. For some children, the thoughts and the urges to perform certain actions persist, even if they try to ignore them or make them go away. Children may have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) when unwanted thoughts, and the behaviours they feel they must do because of the thoughts, happen frequently, take up a lot of time (more than an hour a day), interfere with their activities, or make them very upset. The thoughts are called obsessions. The behaviours are called compulsions.
Symptoms
Having OCD means having obsessions, compulsions, or both.
Examples of obsessive or compulsive behaviours include:
- Having unwanted thoughts, impulses, or images that occur over and over and which cause anxiety or distress.
- Having to think about or say something over and over (for example, counting, or repeating words over and over silently or out loud)
- Having to do something over and over (for example, handwashing, placing things in a specific order, or checking the same things over and over, like whether a door is locked)
- Having to do something over and over according to certain rules that must be followed exactly in order to make an obsession go away.
Children do these behaviours because they have the feeling that the behaviours will prevent bad things from happening or will make them feel better. However, the behaviour is not typically connected to actual danger of something bad happening, or the behaviour is extreme, such as washing hands multiple times per hour.
A common myth is that OCD means being really neat and orderly. Sometimes, OCD behaviours may involve cleaning, but many times someone with OCD is too focused on one thing that must be done over and over, rather than on being organized. Obsessions and compulsions can also change over time. Learn more about OCD
Treatment for OCD
Learn about the guidelines for diagnosing and treating OCD
The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider to arrange an evaluation. A comprehensive evaluation by a mental health professional will determine if the anxiety or distress involves memories of a traumatic event that actually happened, or if the fears are based on other thoughts or beliefs. The mental health professional should also determine whether someone with OCD has a current or past tic disorder. Anxiety or depression and disruptive behaviours may also occur with OCD.
Treatments can include behaviour therapy and medication. Behaviour therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioural therapy, helps the child change negative thoughts into more positive, effective ways of thinking, leading to more effective behaviour. Behaviour therapy for OCD can involve gradually exposing children to their fears in a safe setting; this helps them learn that bad things do not really occur when they don’t do the behaviour, which eventually decreases their anxiety. Behaviour therapy alone can be effective, but some children are treated with a combination of behaviour therapy and medication. Families and schools can help children manage stress by being part of the therapy process and learning how to respond supportively without accidentally making obsessions or compulsions more likely to happen again.
Get help finding treatment
Contact World Mental Resilience Programs for all your Children’s Mental Health Services offered by Psychologists, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, Counsellors and Social Workers.
For Onsite and Online Consultations: consultations@wmrprograms.com
Call/WhatsApp: +263 738 058 191
Prevention of OCD
It is not known exactly why some children develop OCD. There is likely to be a biological and neurological component, and some children with OCD also have Tourette syndrome or other tic disorders. There are some studies that suggest that health problems during pregnancy and birth may make OCD more likely, which is one of many important reasons to support the health of women during pregnancy. Learn about preventing problems during pregnancy
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER IN CHILDREN
All children may experience very stressful events that affect how they think and feel. Most of the time, children recover quickly and well. However, sometimes children who experience severe stress, such as from an injury, from the death or threatened death of a close family member or friend, or from violence, will be affected long-term. The child could experience this trauma directly or could witness it happening to someone else. When children develop long term symptoms (longer than one month) from such stress, which are upsetting or interfere with their relationships and activities, they may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Examples of PTSD symptoms include:
- Reliving the event over and over in thought or in play
- Nightmares and sleep problems
- Becoming very upset when something causes memories of the event
- Lack of positive emotions
- Intense ongoing fear or sadness
- Irritability and angry outbursts
- Constantly looking for possible threats, being easily startled
- Acting helpless, hopeless or withdrawn
- Denying that the event happened or feeling numb
- Avoiding places or people associated with the event
Because children who have experienced traumatic stress may seem restless, fidgety, or have trouble paying attention and staying organized, the symptoms of traumatic stress can be confused with symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Read a guide for clinicians on deciding if it is ADHD or child traumatic stress.
Examples of events that could cause PTSD include:
- Physical, sexual, or emotional maltreatment
- Being a victim or witness to violence or crime
- Serious illness or death of a close family member or friend
- Natural or manmade disasters
- Severe car accidents
Learn more about PTSD
Treatment for PTSD
Learn about the guidelines for diagnosing and treating PTSD. The first step to treatment is to talk with a healthcare provider to arrange an evaluation. For a PTSD diagnosis, a specific event must have triggered the symptoms. Because the event was distressing, children may not want to talk about the event, so a health provider who is highly skilled in talking with children and families may be needed. Once the diagnosis is made, the first step is to make the child feel safe by getting support from parents, friends, and school, and by minimizing the chance of another traumatic event to the extent possible. Psychotherapy in which the child can speak, draw, play, or write about the stressful event can be done with the child, the family, or a group. Behaviour therapy, specifically cognitive-behavioural therapy, helps children learn to change thoughts and feelings by first changing behaviour in order to reduce the fear or worry. Medication may also be used to decrease symptoms.
Get help finding treatment
Contact World Mental Resilience Programs for all your Children’s Mental Health Services offered by Psychologists, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrists, Cognitive Behavioural Therapists, Counsellors and Social Workers.
For Onsite and Online Consultations: consultations@wmrprograms.com
Call/WhatsApp: +263 738 058 191
Prevention of PTSD
It is not known exactly why some children develop PTSD after experiencing stressful and traumatic events, and others do not. Many factors may play a role, including biology and temperament. But preventing risks for trauma, like maltreatment, violence, or injuries, or lessening the impact of unavoidable disasters on children, can help protect a child from PTSD.
Learn about public health approaches to prevent these risks:
- Protect the ones you love: Childhood injury prevention
- Bullying prevention
- Child maltreatment prevention
- Youth violence prevention
- Caring for children in a disaster
THERAPY TO IMPROVE CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders in childhood can cause long-term problems that may affect the health and well-being of children, families, and communities. Treating a child’s mental health problems as soon as possible can help children reduce problems at home, in school, and in forming friendships. It can also help with healthy development into adulthood.
A public health approach to children’s mental health includes promoting mental health for all children, providing preventive intervention to children at risk, and providing treatment for children with identified disorders. Psychological therapy is a key component to improving mental health. Depending on the type and severity of the problems, psychological therapy for children may be used in combination with medication.
A brief overview of therapy
Psychological therapy is meant to treat a mental health condition or help a child manage their symptoms so that they can function well at home, in school, and in their community.
When children are young, it is common for therapy to include the parent. Sometimes therapists work with the parents alone. Older children may meet with a therapist alone as well. Some types of therapy include working with the whole family or other important adults in the child’s life (for example, a teacher).
Parent-focused approaches typically mean that parents talk with the therapist about the child’s behaviour and feelings. Psychological therapy with children can include talking, playing, or other activities to help the child express feelings and thoughts. Therapists may also observe parents and children together and then make suggestions for finding different ways to react.
Psychological therapy for children can be done one-on-one or in groups. Sometimes, a combination of therapies is the most effective for helping a child.
What types of therapy are most effective for mental disorders in children?
What is behaviour therapy?
Behaviour therapy teaches children and their families how to strengthen positive child behaviours and eliminate or reduce unwanted or problem behaviours.
One type is parent training in behaviour management. The therapist works with parents to learn or improve skills to manage their child’s behaviour. Parents are encouraged to practice the skills with their child, either during the therapy session or at home. Teachers can also be trained in behaviour management to help the child at their childcare center or school.
With older children or adolescents, the therapist usually works directly with the child to teach them how to choose positive behaviours. Parents can be involved to support and strengthen the skills their child is learning.
What is cognitive-behaviour therapy?
Cognitive-behaviour therapy focuses on changing the thoughts and emotions that can affect a child’s behaviour negatively.
The therapist helps the child become aware of their thoughts and feelings. The therapist also helps the child evaluate if feelings or thoughts may be distorted or illogical, and then helps the child through the process of changing the thoughts as well as the emotional reactions and behaviours that go along with them.
Cognitive-behaviour therapy often works directly with the child, but can also include parents.
For the most common childhood conditions, like ADHD, behaviour disorders, anxiety, or depression, approaches using behaviour therapy and cognitive-behaviour therapy are more likely to reduce symptoms, but there is limited information about which type of therapy is best for treating each specific childhood mental disorder.
Based on the scientific evidence available, different therapies seem to work well for different types of problems:
Parent training in behaviour management works well for:
- ADHD; and
- Disruptive behaviour disorders.
Child behaviour therapy works well for:
- ADHD; and
- Disruptive behaviour disorders.
Cognitive-behaviour therapy works well for:
- Disruptive behaviour disorder;
- Depression;
- Anxiety; and
Additional types of therapy can be effective for adolescents.
- Adolescents with disruptive behaviour disorder may respond well to family therapy, an approach that includes multiple members of the family and focuses on learning better communication skills and ways to settle conflicts.
- Adolescents with depression may respond well to interpersonal psychotherapy, an approach in which the therapists help the adolescents learn ways to handle relationship problems.
Other therapy approaches may also be effective but have not been studied enough for researchers to understand if they work well. Information on what works best for which family is also still limited. Read more about which types of child therapy have been found to work.
Finding the right therapy for your child
Therapy is most effective if it fits the needs of the specific child and family. You can talk to your child’s healthcare provider as a first step. Sometimes, health problems such as poor sleep, trouble breathing, poor vision, difficulty hearing, or learning problems can cause behavioural or emotional symptoms, or make them worse. Your child’s healthcare provider may want to find out if your child has any health problems before referring your child for therapy.
Before starting therapy, a mental health provider typically conducts a comprehensive evaluation of your child’s mental health to figure out what type of therapy might work best.
RELATED CONDITIONS AND CONCERNS WITH CHILDREN’S MENTAL HEALTH
Children with mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders can have other health or developmental conditions at the same time. Sometimes the difficulties from having a chronic health condition—those that go on for a long time and often don’t go away completely—or disability increase the risk for developing mental health problems. Sometimes having more than one condition can make mental health symptoms worse. Careful diagnosis to guide treatment is important.
