It is normal for all growing children to react to their environment and to express their feelings in different ways. Children can have difficulties when they shift from one developmental stage to another or find that academic and social challenges are just too much for them at a given point.

It can be challenging for parents, teachers and caregivers to assess if behaviors and emotions are typical childhood reactions or symptoms of a mental illness. If a young child exhibits some of these outward behavioral signs, an evaluation by a mental health professional could be useful:

• Decline in school performance and grades even though the child is trying hard
• Displays of anxiety, such as refusal to go to school or to participate in normal activities for the child’s age
• Persistent nightmares
• Disobedience or aggression lasting longer than six months
• Hyperactivity that goes beyond regular play
• Frequent, unexplained outbursts of anger or crying or the reverse, being extremely quiet and withdrawn

It is important to remember that children with mental illnesses are handicapped by chemical disturbances in their brains that can be triggered or made worse by environmental stressors, but mental disorders and mental health problems appear in families of all social classes and of all backgrounds. Trust your instincts. Ask for help when you need it.

Learn more about children's mental health conditions using the directoy on the right.

Source: Wisconsin United for Mental Health