Identification of Children Behavioural and Emotional Disorders
“If a problem is not temporary or short-lived, then should parents seek out a trained and qualified professional to help their children?”
Children’s health includes physical, mental and social well-being. Most parents know the basics of keeping children healthy; like giving them healthy foods, making sure they get enough sleep and exercise and insuring their safety.
It is also important for children to get regular check-ups with their health care providers. These visits are a chance to check the child’s development. They are also a good time to catch or prevent problems.
Other than check-ups, school-age children should be keenly observed for common childhood mental illnesses and developmental disorders which include among others:
- Depression,
- Bipolar Disorder And Anxiety Disorders,
- Autism And Similar Pervasive Developmental Disorders,
- Attention Deficit And Hyperactivity Disorder,
- Learning Disabilities,
- Adjustment Disorders,
- Eating disorders,
- Oppositional Defiant Disorder, And
- Conduct Disorder.
The most common developmental disorder is mental retardation. It is usually first diagnosed during childhood and often persists into adulthood. Half of all psychiatric illnesses occur before the age of 14, and 75 per cent by the age of 24.
In spite of the magnitude of the problem, lack of awareness and entrenched stigma keeps majority of these young people from getting help. Children and adolescents with psychiatric illnesses are at risk of academic failure, substance abuse, and a clash with the juvenile justice system — all of which come at a tremendous cost to them, their families, and the community.This is a public health crisis that must be addressed.
We cannot deny that childhood mental illness is real and common. For millions of children, treatment can be transformative—but not nearly enough have access to care. Our nation must make a commitment to better training, robust research initiatives, and expanded public education efforts. Only then will we honour the promises we make to our young people – “leaders of tomorrow”.
During a child’s developmental years, they are constantly growing and changing. It is imperative to note that one must keep this in mind when diagnosing and treating emotional and behavioral disorders in children.
Health professionals once thought that brain disorders such as bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, or even depression occurred after childhood but now, it is widely held that these brain disorders can begin in early childhood. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), emotional and behavioral disorders affect 10-15% of children globally. One of particular childhood-onset mental disorder that is widely studied, treated, and diagnosed is ADHD, Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and research shows that 3-5% of children globally suffer from this disorder.
These salient issues are what have been decided to address in this column to raise advocacy for children, to their caregivers, parents, families and the community.
In subsequent columns, I would be examining each of these disorders one after the other for proper management, assessment, prevention and treatment.
OMOTOSO N. Clement