What Parents Should Know About Mental Health Disorders

An estimated 10 million children suffer from some form of mental-health disorder. <br><br>Sadly, only about 30 percent of those receive treatment. <br><br>But before parents can seek help, they need know

Monday, April 17th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

An estimated 10 million children suffer from some form of mental-health disorder.

Sadly, only about 30 percent of those receive treatment.

But before parents can seek help, they need know more about what they're dealing with. Is their child going through normal growing pains? Or should the parents seek professional help?

The following information is intended only as a guideline. It was taken from Childhood Revealed: Art Expressing Pain, Discovery and Hope (Harry N. Abrams Inc., $35).

If you suspect your child has a mental health disorder, contact your family doctor or the Mental Health Association of Greater Dallas for information and referrals.

DEPRESSION:

One to 2 percent of children ages 5 to 11 are diagnosed with depression. For ages 12 to 18, the figure rises to 8 percent.

Symptoms are similar to those of depressed adults: feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless.

More often, depressed children are irritable and impossible to please. Moods swing from great sadness to sudden anger. Depressed youngsters feel agitated, hopeless and guilty. They may have trouble sleeping. They may have recurring thoughts of death or suicide.

EATING DISORDERS:

As many as 3 percent to 5 percent of adolescent females may suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or binge-eating disorder.

Although 90 percent of those diagnosed are girls, boys now account for up to 10 percent.

The most common symptom is abnormal eating behavior, often accompanied by a distorted body image.

Anorexia and bulimia have the highest death rate - about 5 percent to 10 percent - of any childhood psychiatric illness.

Parents can help by accepting the way they look - at least in front of their child. They should also stifle criticism of the child's weight. They should encourage exercise and wise eating habits for a healthy body - not a glamorously shaped one. Parents should not make food a big issue.

ANXIETY DISORDERS:

Among children, this is the most common mental-health problem, affecting an estimated 5 percent to 10 percent. It's also the most treatable.

Anxiety itself is a normal emotional state. But children with a disorder are unable to calm themselves because the fear or worry is so intense.

Anxiety runs in families. The key to helping a child overcome it is to determine what can be done to overcome it, rather than dwelling on its possible cause.

Disorders include separation anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder and social phobia.

PSYCHOSIS:BIPOLAR DISORDER AND SCHIZOPHRENIA:

Bipolar (also known as manic depressive disorder) is characterized by intense, persistent mood swings. Children feel helpless, hopeless, worthless. The illness is also characterized by mania marked by grandiosity and exuberance.
Characteristics of schizophrenia include: difficulty telling the difference between reality and fantasy, disorganized or illogical speech, thoughts of harming oneself or others.

In either disorder, children may have hallucinations, lose touch with reality or have delusions.

These disorders are rare and are usually diagnosed in adolescence.

ATTENTION-DEFICIT/HYPERACTIVITY DISORDER:

Three major symptoms include inattention, impulsiveness, hyperactivity.

More than 1 million children, mostly boys, suffer from attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The disorder is thought to be caused by environmental and genetic factors, as well as biochemical dysfunction in the brain.

LEARNING DIFFERENCES:

An estimated 5 percent to 20 percent of children have a diagnosable learning problem.

These are caused by glitches in the neurological functioning of the brain and may include problems with visual perception, processing information, sequencing and motor skills.

Each shows a discrepancy between a child's overall intelligence and his ability to learn in a traditional way.

Although the problems can't be cured, children can be helped to learn in a different way.

PERVASIVE DEVELOPMENT DISORDERS AND AUTISM:

Symptoms usually occur early in life. As infants, for instance, children with these disorders are unaffectionate or reject physical contact.

As they get older, the children have a hard time with tasks involving language, communication, socialization and motor skills.

About 80 percent of autistic children are mentally retarded. Some, however, have a geniuslike ability in one area.

These disorders are rare, occurring in five of every 10,000 children.

POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER:

Every year, at least 3 million children are victims. Their ordeals could include witnessing a one-time natural disaster or enduring repeated physical abuse.

Victims live in a constant state of fearfulness, reliving the experience over and over. They may also suffer from disorganized or agitated behavior, emotional numbness, anxiety or depression.

ABUSE:

Every 10 seconds in the United States, a case of child abuse or neglect is reported. Every year, 1,300 children die from injuries inflicted by caregivers.

An estimated 2 million to 6 million children are verbally abused, mistreated and neglected before reaching adulthood.

Symptoms include irritations around the mouth, genital or anal areas, or marks anywhere on the body that can't be explained. Victims also may have difficulty walking, sitting, urinating or moving body parts. Their personalities, sleeping and eating patterns may change.

DIVORCE:
An estimated 50 percent to 60 percent of children born in the 1990s will live in a home where there has been a divorce.

Most children adjust to the change in family within a year or two. However, about one-fourth will suffer from ongoing stress.

To help children deal with a divorce, experts recommend the following: As appropriate to age, let the child know as many details as possible before a parent moves out. Speak directly to each other about the children. Acknowledge a child's feelings as well as your own. Monitor your children's reactions and responses to new stages in their lives.

PHYSICAL ILLNESS:

An estimated 1 million to 2 million children under age 20 suffer from a chronic illness or disabling condition.

Children may blame themselves, feel scared and angry, or develop a poor self image.

Children are helped most by interventions directed at teaching the entire family how to deal with changes caused by the illness, by talking honestly about it, and by being treated as normally as possible.

Source: Childhood Revealed: Art Expressing Pain, Discovery and Hope (Harry N. Abrams Inc., $35)