- Acute Flaccid Myelitis
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Arteriovenous Malformations
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder
- Back Pain
- Brain Aneurysm
- Brain Tumors
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Childhood Brain Tumors
- Delirium
- Dementia
- Hemorrhagic Stroke
- Ischemic Stroke
- Memory
- Meningitis
- Mild Cognitive Impairment
- Movement Disorders
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Neuroblastoma
- Neuromuscular Disorders
- Parkinson’s Disease
- Polio and Post-Polio Syndrome
- Speech and Language Problems in Children
- Stroke
- Transient Ischemic Attack
- Tremor
- Walking Problems
- West Nile Virus
- A1C
- Blood Glucose
- Diabetes
- Diabetes and Pregnancy
- Diabetes Complications
- Diabetes in Children and Teens
- Diabetes Medicines
- Diabetes Type 1
- Diabetes Type 2
- Diabetic Diet
- Diabetic Eye Problems
- Diabetic Foot
- Diabetic Heart Disease
- Diabetic Kidney Problems
- Diabetic Nerve Problems
- How to Prevent Diabetes
- Hyperglycemia
- Metabolic Syndrome
- Prediabetes
- Abortion
- Breast Cancer
- Breast Diseases
- Breast Reconstruction
- Breastfeeding
- Cervical Cancer
- Cervical Cancer Screening
- Cesarean Delivery
- Childbirth
- Ectopic Pregnancy
- Endometriosis
- Female Infertility
- Health Problems in Pregnancy
- High Blood Pressure in Pregnancy
- HIV and Pregnancy
- Hormone Replacement Therapy
- HPV
- Hysterectomy
- Infections and Pregnancy
- Mammography
- Mastectomy
- Menopause
- Menstruation
- Miscarriage
- Ovarian Cancer
- Ovarian Cysts
- Ovarian Disorders
- Pelvic Floor Disorders
- Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
- Pelvic Pain
- Period Pain
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
- Pregnancy
- Pregnancy and Drug Use
- Pregnancy and Opioids
- Premenstrual Syndrome
- Prenatal Care
- Prenatal Testing
- Primary Ovarian Insufficiency
- Sexual Problems in Women
- Stillbirth
- Teenage Pregnancy
- Trichomoniasis
- Tubal Ligation
- Uterine Cancer
- Uterine Diseases
- Uterine Fibroids
- Vaginal Bleeding
- Vaginal Cancer
- Vaginal Diseases
- Vaginitis
- Vulvar Cancer
- Vulvar Disorders
- Yeast Infections
- Alcohol
- Calcium
- Child Nutrition
- Cholesterol
- Cholesterol Levels: What You Need to Know
- Cholesterol Medicines
- DASH Eating Plan
- Eating Disorders
- Food Allergy
- HDL: The “Good” Cholesterol
- High Cholesterol in Children and Teens
- How to Lower Cholesterol
- How to Lower Cholesterol with Diet
- Infant and Newborn Nutrition
- LDL: The “Bad” Cholesterol
- Malabsorption Syndromes
- Nutrition for Older Adults
- Pregnancy and Nutrition
- Toddler Nutrition
- Triglycerides
- VLDL Cholesterol
- Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
- Ataxia Telangiectasia
- Brain Malformations
- Cerebral Palsy
- Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease
- Chiari Malformation
- Cleft Lip and Palate
- Color Blindness
- Congenital Heart Defects
- Craniofacial Abnormalities
- Cystic Fibrosis
- Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
- Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders
- Friedreich Ataxia
- Genetic Counseling
- Hemophilia
- Huntington’s Disease
- Hydrocephalus
- Muscular Dystrophy
- Neural Tube Defects
- Neurofibromatosis
- Newborn Screening
- Osteogenesis Imperfecta
- Prader-Willi Syndrome
- Pregnancy and Medicines
- Rett Syndrome
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Spina Bifida
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy
- Tay-Sachs Disease
- Tourette Syndrome
- Tuberous Sclerosis
- Usher Syndrome
- Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
- Allergy
- Animal Bites
- Ankylosing Spondylitis
- Aplastic Anemia
- Asthma
- Asthma in Children
- Childhood Leukemia
- Childhood Vaccines
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
- COVID-19 Vaccines
- Cryptosporidiosis
- Eosinophilic Disorders
- Eosinophilic Esophagitis
- Giant Cell Arteritis
- Hay Fever
- HIV
- HIV and Infections
- HIV in Women
- Hodgkin Lymphoma
- Infectious Diseases
- Infectious Mononucleosis
- Juvenile Arthritis
- Kawasaki Disease
- Lymphedema
- Lymphoma
- Multiple Myeloma
- Pemphigus
- Pneumocystis Infections
- Rheumatoid Arthritis
- Scleroderma
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Tonsillitis
- Vaccines
- Viral Infections
- Adhesions
- Ankle Injuries and Disorders
- Arm Injuries and Disorders
- Back Injuries
- Brachial Plexus Injuries
- Burns
- Chest Injuries and Disorders
- Concussion
- CPR
- Dislocated Shoulder
- Dislocations
- Elbow Injuries and Disorders
- Eye Injuries
- Facial Injuries and Disorders
- Finger Injuries and Disorders
- Foot Injuries and Disorders
- Fractures
- Hand Injuries and Disorders
- Heel Injuries and Disorders
- Hip Injuries and Disorders
- Inhalation Injuries
- Insect Bites and Stings
- Jaw Injuries and Disorders
- Knee Injuries and Disorders
- Leg Injuries and Disorders
- Mosquito Bites
- Neck Injuries and Disorders
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Shoulder Injuries and Disorders
- Spinal Cord Injuries
- Sprains and Strains
- Tick Bites
- Toe Injuries and Disorders
- Traumatic Brain Injury
- Wrist Injuries and Disorders
- Acute Bronchitis
- Bird Flu
- Chronic Bronchitis
- COPD
- COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019)
- Croup
- E-Cigarettes
- Fistulas
- Flu
- Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis
- H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
- Legionnaires’ Disease
- Lung Cancer
- Mesothelioma
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary Hypertension
- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections
- Sleep Apnea
- Smoking
- Tuberculosis
- Whooping Cough
- Anatomy
- Assisted Reproductive Technology
- Birth Control
- Chlamydia Infections
- Circumcision
- Erectile Dysfunction
- Genital Herpes
- Genital Warts
- Gonorrhea
- Herpes Simplex
- Infertility
- Male Infertility
- Penis Disorders
- Prostate Cancer
- Prostate Cancer Screening
- Prostate Diseases
- Reproductive Hazards
- Sexual Health
- Sexual Problems in Men
- Sexually Transmitted Diseases
- Syphilis
- Testicular Cancer
- Testicular Disorders
- Vasectomy
- Abdominal Pain
- Bad Breath
- Bleeding
- Breathing Problems
- Bruises
- Chest Pain
- Choking
- Chronic Pain
- Constipation
- Cough
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness and Vertigo
- Edema
- Fainting
- Fever
- Frostbite
- Gas
- Gastrointestinal Bleeding
- Headache
- Heartburn
- Heat Illness
- Hives
- Hypothermia
- Indigestion
- Itching
- Jaundice
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Pain
- Rare Diseases
- Raynaud’s Disease
- Sciatica
- Speech and Communication Disorders
- Stuttering
Child Mental Health
Summary
It’s important to recognize and treat mental illnesses in children early on. Once mental illness develops, it becomes a regular part of your child’s behavior. This makes it more difficult to treat.
But it’s not always easy to know when your child has a serious problem. Everyday stresses can cause changes in your child’s behavior. For example, getting a new brother or sister or going to a new school may cause a child to temporarily act out. Warning signs that it might be a more serious problem include:
- Problems in more than one setting (at school, at home, with peers)
- Changes in appetite or sleep
- Social withdrawal or fear of things he or she did not used to be not afraid of
- Returning to behaviors more common in younger children, such as bedwetting
- Signs of being upset, such as sadness or tearfulness
- Signs of self-destructive behavior, such as head-banging or suddenly getting hurt often
- Repeated thoughts of death
To diagnose mental health problems, the doctor or mental health specialist looks at your child’s signs and symptoms, medical history, and family history. Treatments include medicines and talk therapy.
NIH: National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Mental Health
Treatments and Therapies
- 11 Questions to Ask Before Psychiatric Hospitalization of Your Child or Adolescent American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mental Health Medications National Institute of Mental Health
- Psychotherapies National Institute of Mental Health
- Psychotherapies for Children and Adolescents American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Residential Treatment Programs American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Taking Your Child to a Therapist Nemours Foundation
- What Parents Should Know about Treatment of Behavioral and Emotional Disorders in Preschool Children American Psychological Association
Find an Expert
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Help for Mental Illnesses National Institute of Mental Health
- National Institute of Mental Health National Institute of Mental Health
- Psychologist Locator American Psychological Association
Specifics
- Anxiety Disorders (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- Bipolar Disorder in Children and Teens National Institute of Mental Health
- Childhood Depression: What Parents Need to Know Nemours Foundation
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder National Institute of Mental Health
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder: The Basics National Institute of Mental Health
- Helping Children Handle Stress American Academy of Pediatrics
- Helping Kids when They Worry (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
- How to Ease Children’s Anxiety about COVID-19 NAMI
- Panic Disorder in Children and Adolescents American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Separation Anxiety (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Related Issues
- Building Resilience in Children American Academy of Pediatrics
- Children and Grief American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- COVID-19: Helping Children Cope Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Hearing Voices and Seeing Things American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Helping Children and Adolescents Cope With Traumatic Events National Institute of Mental Health
- Sleep Tips for Your Family’s Mental Health American Academy of Pediatrics
- What Every Child Needs for Good Mental Health Mental Health America
Start Here
- Child and Adolescent Mental Health National Institute of Mental Health
- Children and Mental Health: Is This Just a Stage? National Institute of Mental Health
- Children’s Mental Health American Psychological Association
- Children’s Mental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Emotional Disturbance Center for Parent Information and Resources
Encyclopedia
- Children and grief Medical Encyclopedia
- Stereotypic movement disorder Medical Encyclopedia
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Mental Disorders National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Child Mental Health National Institutes of Health
Diagnosis and Tests
- Comprehensive Psychiatric Evaluation American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Mental Health Screening National Library of Medicine
- Mental Illness in Children: Know the Signs Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- When to Seek Help for Your Child American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Statistics and Research
- Data and Statistics on Children’s Mental Health Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Patient Handouts
- Generalized anxiety disorder – children Medical Encyclopedia
- Reactive attachment disorder of infancy or early childhood Medical Encyclopedia
- Stress in childhood Medical Encyclopedia
- Traumatic events and children Medical Encyclopedia
Children
- Going to a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, or Therapist (For Kids) Nemours Foundation
- Stand Up to Stress! National Institute of Mental Health
- Talking about Your Feelings Nemours Foundation
- Why Am I So Sad? (For Kids) Nemours Foundation