Children and Adolescents Can Have Mental Health Problems

Like adults, children and adolescents can have mental health problems that interfere with the way they think, feel and act. These problems are real and painful. They can lead to school failure, family conflicts, drug abuse, violence or suicide. Mental health problems often limit young people’s current and future ability to be productive. In addition, these problems can be very costly to families, communities and the health care system.

These Problems Are Common in Children and Youth

Many children and adolescents are affected by mental health problems. Studies show that, at any given time, at least 1 in 5 children and adolescents may have a mental health problem. At least 1 in 10—or as many as 6 million young people—may have a ‘serious emotional disturbance,’ including depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and anxiety, conduct and eating disorders, among others. For children and adolescents, serious emotional disturbance refers to the above disorders when they severely disrupt daily functioning in the child’s home, school or community.

These children live in the cities, suburbs, and rural areas of our country. They come from wealthy, middle-class and poor families and from every race and culture. But no matter what their backgrounds, children with serious emotional disturbances and their families often do not receive the services and support they need to help them with their problems.

Many Young People Need Help

An estimated two-thirds of all young people with mental health problems who need help are not getting it. Often, children’s and adolescents’ mental health problems are not recognized and appropriate help is not sought.

The stigma surrounding mental health problems keeps many people from asking for help. Stigma also causes isolation and discrimination for many young people and their families. Punishment is often incorrectly used to try to solve problems within the home, at school or in the juvenile justice system. When a serious emotional disturbance in a child or adolescent goes untreated, it can have grave personal, social and economic impacts on the child and family. The child may experience problems interacting with others, fail in school, act out, show violent behavior or have severe mental health problems as an adult.

Raising public awareness about children’s mental health issues can lead to earlier recognition of possible mental health problems. Identifying problems when they first appear may help to keep them from getting worse, thereby saving a child’s life. Caring families and communities working together can help children and adolescents with mental disorders. A broad range of services often is necessary to meet the needs of these young people and families.

Mississippi Families as Allies for Children's Mental Health, Inc., is a statewide, not-for-profit organization for Mississippi's children and youth with mental health needs. All services are offered free of charge and complete confidentiality is maintained.To request services or for more information, call Mississippi Families as Allies for Children’s Mental Health at 601-981-1618, 1-800-833-9671 (toll-free).

For more information about children’s mental health, visit Mississippi Families as Allies for Children’s Mental Health at www.msfaacmh.org, the National Mental Health Association at www.nmha.org or the National Mental Health Information Center at www.mentalhealth.org.