Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Mental health is an important part of overall health for children as well as adults. For many adults who have mental disorders, symptoms were present—but often not recognized or addressed—in childhood and adolescence. For a young person with symptoms of a mental disorder, the earlier treatment is started, the more effective it can be. Early treatment can help prevent more severe, lasting problems as a child grows up.
Warning Signs
It can be tough to tell if troubling behavior in a child is just part of growing up or a problem that should be discussed with a health professional. If there are behavioral signs and symptoms that last weeks or months, and if these issues interfere with the child's daily life at home and at school, or with friends, you should contact a health professional.
Young children may benefit from an evaluation and treatment if they
- Have frequent tantrums or are intensely irritable much of the time
- Often talk about fears or worries
- Complain about frequent stomachaches or headaches with no known medical cause
- Are in constant motion and cannot sit quietly (except when they are watching videos or playing video games)
- Sleep too much or too little, have frequent nightmares, or seem sleepy during the day
- Are not interested in playing with other children or have difficulty making friends
- Struggle academically or have experienced a recent decline in grades
- Repeat actions or check things many times out of fear that something bad may happen
Older children and adolescents may benefit from an evaluation if they
- Have lost interest in things that they used to enjoy
- Have low energy
- Sleep too much or too little, or seem sleepy throughout the day
- Are spending more and more time alone, and avoid social activities with friends or family
- Diet or exercise excessively, or fear gaining weight
- Engage in self-harm behaviors (such as cutting or burning their skin)
- Smoke, drink alcohol, or use drugs
- Engage in risky or destructive behavior alone or with friends
- Have thoughts of suicide
- Have periods of highly elevated energy and activity, and require much less sleep than usual
- Say that they think someone is trying to control their mind or that they hear things that other people cannot hear
Mental illnesses can be treated. If you are a child or teenager, talk to your parents, school counselor, or health care provider.
It may be helpful for children and teenagers to save several emergency numbers to their cell phones. The ability to get immediate help for themselves or for a friend can make a difference:
- The phone number for a trusted friend or relative
- The nonemergency number for the local police department
- The Crisis Text Line: 741741
- 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988
If you or someone you know needs immediate help, call 911 or the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. (The former number at 800-273-TALK [800-273-8255] will still work and reroutes you to 988 also.)
Health Hotlines
- The 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline provides 24-hour, toll-free, and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress (Link opens in a new windowhttps://988lifeline.org). Call 988 or 800-273-TALK (800-273-8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counselor at a crisis center in your area. Support is available in English and Spanish, also via live chat (Link opens in a new windowhttps://988lifeline.org/chat).
- Disaster Distress Hotline: People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call this helpline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counselling (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/disaster-distress-helpline). Call or text 800-985-5990 to connect with a trained professional from the closest crisis counseling center within the network.
- Crisis Text Line: Text HELLO to 741741 for free and confidential support 24 hours a day throughout the U.S. (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.crisistextline.org).
- TXT 4 HELP: Created by National Safe Place, this nationwide, 24-hour text service provides support for teenagers in crisis (Link opens in a new windowhttps://www.nationalsafeplace.org/txt-4-help). It works by texting the word "safe" and your current location (address, city, state) to 4HELP (44357). Within seconds, you will receive a message with the closest Safe Place site and phone number.
U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). (Reviewed 2023, March). Child and adolescent mental health (NIH Pub. No. QF 16-7697). Retrieved July 27, 2023, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov