How do I know if my child is struggling with their mental health, or if it’s just part of growing up?

Understanding mental health in children and young people

Like adults, at times children and young people experience overwhelming emotions such as low mood, anxiety, irritability, anger, etc., as well as challenging behaviours.

Some may find it occasionally challenging to sit still, pay attention, or interact with others. In most cases, these are just typical developmental phases.

However, distinguishing between challenging behaviours and emotions that are a part of normal development and those that may be a cause for concern can be hard. As a result, many children who could be helped by treatment don't get the help they need.

The importance of early intervention

Research has found that experiencing mental health symptoms before the age of 14 and even as young as five, were predictive of mental health issues well into adulthood.

Early recognition and early intervention can significantly improve outcomes for children experiencing mental health issues, leading to better long-term prognosis and a happier life.

Identifying and addressing mental health concerns during the formative years can help provide some much-needed skills and strategies to carry with them throughout their lives and mitigate the likelihood of more severe issues emerging later in life.

Common childhood mental issues deeper than normal developmental changes include:

• Social anxiety: A fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations, which can cause children to avoid places such as school and worry about saying or doing something wrong.

• Separation anxiety: An intense fear of being away from a caregiver, leading children to avoid separation and worry about harm, getting lost, or being unable to cope without their parent.

• Generalised anxiety: Excessive worry about many everyday things, often with physical symptoms - such as headaches or stomach aches - sleep issues, and frequent reassurance-seeking when feeling uncertain.

• Panic attacks: A sudden feeling of intense fear and physical symptoms. Typically affects adolescence and early adulthood. Adolescents with panic disorder are at greater chance of a concurring depression.

• OCD: Involves unwanted, repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviours or mental rituals (compulsions) that a person feels driven to do to reduce anxiety or feel “just right.”

• Trauma: Exposure to a very frightening or harmful event, which in children may show through play, drawings, nightmares, impulsive behaviour, and changes in emotions or development.

• Low mood: Low mood in children and adolescents can show as irritability, loss of interest in activities, difficulty concentrating, and a drop in school performance or trouble completing work.

• Phobias: Intense, ongoing fears of specific things or situations - for example, heights, animals, injections - that are much stronger than usual for a child’s age and interfere with daily life.

In a YoungMinds survey, 75 per cent of parents said that their child’s mental health had deteriorated while waiting for support from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Encourage your child to engage in positive activities to prevent isolating themselves

Positive activities such as exercise, hobbies, connecting with others, often provide a sense of pleasure and achievement.

Activities give a child something to look forward to, can help to distract them from their worries, and more importantly, support their recovery and build their confidence.

Importance of structure and routine

Resetting your child’s biological clock - sleeping and waking up time, going to school and engaging in day-to-day activities is key to improving their overall wellbeing.

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Right evidence-based interventions at the right time are essential for quick recovery and return to normal life. Some children and young people will need professional or specialised help at some point in their lives, and this typically includes seeing a therapist or psychiatrist.

However, unprecedented demand for mental health services in recent years has resulted in a huge strain on the healthcare system, making prevention and early intervention more difficult. The cycle of poor mental health creates a significant burden for children and young people and their families.

Children and young people who receive effective evidence-based care at the right time to tackle the issue head-on before it gets worse are more likely to recover and return to full functioning (Early Intervention Foundation, 2023).

CBT is an evidence-based talking therapy recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) as first line treatment for the treatment of childhood mental health issues including anxiety disorders, depression, and trauma.

CBT helps identify the connection between thoughts, feelings, and behaviours that keep the issue going. It helps your child to identify triggers for their anxiety or low mood and teach them strategies to face anxiety provoking situations.

For children and young people, this means a child receives effective and targeted treatment to enhance their natural growth and development, improve quality of life, and enjoy greater resilience as adults.