When is it time to get my child help for mental health issues? By Child Mind Institute, Understood Founding Partner
When children have emotional or behavioral problems, the earlier they get treatment, the easier it is to help them. But as parents, you also want to avoid unnecessary treatment and costs in both time and money. When you are concerned about a child’s mental health, you might be told by family members, friends, and maybe even your pediatrician to relax and wait — that kids grow out of it. Sometimes this is good advice. Sometimes it is not.
Essential Grace
When
to
take
action There are times when it’s clearly not agood idea to wait to get your child help for mental health issues. For instance: Eating disorders: The longer a child lives with an eating disorder, the harder it is to recover. Getting treatment as quickly as possible can save your child’s life. Family history: If mental illness runsin your family, be aware of the increased possibility that your child will begin to develop a disorder. In this case it isimportant to act promptly. Cutting and other self-harm: If you discover your child has been self-harming in any way, even if they say it was a one- time thing, it’s important to get help. It’s dangerous behavior that may be a way of dealing with a serious mental health issue. When to wait Some life events can cause changes in your child’s functioning as a part of a process of adjustment. Things like: Parental divorce Changing schools A new sibling These can all have troubling effects on a child’s behavior. Most often this will pass with time. In fact, the criteria for many child and adolescent psychiatric disorders require problem behaviors or feelings to be present for at least a period of weeks ormonths. Sometimes you need to watch
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