Mental disorders in children are not uncommon. After all, the nervous system of the child is especially vulnerable. Often, parents, noticing oddities in the behavior of children, postpone a visit to a psychiatrist. They are afraid of registering the child. As a result, the disease is neglected, and signs of mental disorders persist into adulthood. How to recognize such violations? And how to distinguish them from children's whims and shortcomings of education? We will answer these questions in the article.
Reasons
The occurrence of mental he alth disorders in children and adolescents can be triggered by the following reasons:
- Hereditary predisposition. If parents or close relatives have mental illness, then the disease can be transmitted to children. This does not mean that the child will necessarily suffer from mental pathologies, but such a risk exists.
- Head injuries. Brain injury due to injury or impactmay have long-term consequences. Often, mental disorders in children appear years after the traumatization.
- Infections. Children who have had meningitis often suffer from mental disorders. Infections transmitted by the mother during pregnancy can also affect the state of the child's nervous system.
- Bad habits of parents. If the mother drank or smoked during pregnancy, this can have an extremely negative effect on the development of the central nervous system of the fetus. Mental disorders can manifest themselves only at senior preschool or school age. The lifestyle of the future father is also of great importance. If a man suffers from alcoholism, then the risk of conceiving a sick child is high.
- Unhe althy family environment. If the mother and father often quarrel in front of the child, then the baby has a lot of stress. Against the background of constant emotional stress in children, deviations in the psyche appear. There is anxiety, nervousness, tearfulness or excessive isolation. This is a prime example of how parents provoke mental disorders in children.
- Wrong upbringing. The reason for the development of pathology can also be excessive severity, frequent criticism of a child or teenager, as well as overprotection or lack of proper attention from parents.
The above reasons do not always lead to the development of pathology. Typically, mental disorders develop under the influence of several factors. For example, if a child has an adverseheredity, and at the same time he suffers from frequent stress or has received a head injury, then the risk of psychopathology increases significantly.
Mental development of children
The development of the child's psyche can be divided into several periods:
- infancy (up to 1 year old);
- early childhood (1 to 3 years old);
- preschool age (3-7 years old);
- primary school age (7-11 years old);
- puberty (11-15 years old);
- youth (15-17 years old).
Mental disorders in children most often occur during the transition from one stage of development to another. During these periods, the child's nervous system becomes especially vulnerable.
Peculiarities of mental disorders at different ages
The peak of mental disorders falls on the age periods of 3-4 years, 5-7 years and 13-17 years. Many psychopathologies that are noted in adults begin to form even when the patient was a teenager or a child.
Mental disorders in young children (under 1 year old) are extremely rare. The baby needs to have his natural needs (for food, sleep) satisfied. At this age, the regimen and proper care of the baby is very important. If the physiological needs of the baby are not met in time, then this causes severe stress. In the future, this may provoke the development of mental pathologies.
Mental disorders in children at 2 years old can be caused by overprotective parents. Many mothers continue to treat a grown child like a baby. This inhibits the development of the baby and forms excessive passivity and fearfulness. In the future, these qualities can lead to neurotic disorders. This is another example of how parents provoke mental disorders in children.
After 3 years old, children become very active and mobile. They can show capriciousness, stubbornness, be naughty. It is necessary to respond correctly to such manifestations and not to suppress the mobility of the child. Toddlers of this age really need emotional contact with adults. Mental disorders in children 3 years old are most often provoked by a lack of attention from their parents. Lack of communication can lead to speech delay as well as autism.
At the age of 4, children may experience the first neurotic manifestations. Children of this age react painfully to any negative events. Neurosis can be expressed in disobedience, such children often do everything contrary to the requirements of their parents.
Mental disorders in children of 5 years old are often expressed in excessive isolation. With unfavorable heredity, it is at this age that the first signs of childhood schizophrenia can be detected. The child becomes untidy, loses interest in games, his vocabulary deteriorates. These are quite dangerous symptoms of mental disorders in preschool children. Without treatment, such pathologies are steadily progressing.
In school-age children, psychogenic disorders are most often associated with learning. This may be due to learning difficulties. If parents make excessively high demands, andIf a child finds it difficult to study, then this leads to severe stress. Such children often suffer from neuroses. Because of the fear of getting a low grade, the child may be afraid to attend school, refuse food, sleep poorly.
In adolescence and youth, mental disorders are not uncommon. During puberty, there is emotional instability associated with hormonal changes in the body. Children often change their mood, they are extremely sensitive to the words of others, but at the same time they can be arrogant and overconfident. Against the background of an unstable emotional state, adolescents may experience mental disorders. During this period, parents should be especially attentive to the state of mind of the child.
When to See a Doctor
How to distinguish manifestations of mental disorders in children and adolescents from character traits? After all, parents often mistake the initial signs of pathology for bad behavior. The following symptoms should be alarming:
- Violent behavior. If a preschool child tortures animals, then most often he does not understand that he is hurting a living being. In this case, you can limit yourself to educational methods. However, if such behavior is regularly observed in a student, then this is not normal. Often such children show cruelty not only towards others, but also towards themselves. Self-harm is a hallmark of a mental disorder in school-aged children.
- Permanentrefusal to eat. This symptom is usually observed in girls aged 12-17 years. The teenager is dissatisfied with his figure and unreasonably believes that he is overweight. This may be the result of low self-esteem or the careless words of others. The girl deliberately starves or sits on overly strict diets. This can result in severe exhaustion.
- Panic. Children develop strange phobias. The feeling of fear is characteristic of every person, but in this case it is not justified by anything. If a child is afraid of heights, standing on a balcony, then this does not indicate pathology. With such a phobia, you can cope with psychological methods. But if this fear manifests itself when the child is in an apartment on a high floor, then this is already an abnormal phenomenon. These panic attacks make life difficult for children.
- Depression. Any child can have a bad mood associated with external circumstances. But if depression occurs for no reason and lasts more than 2 weeks, then parents should be wary. It is urgent to show the child to a psychiatrist. Protracted depression often causes suicide in adolescents.
- Mood swings. Normally, the mood of the child can change depending on the circumstances. However, some children have bouts of unbridled amusement, which are quickly replaced by periods of intense sadness and tearfulness. Mood swings are not associated with any external causes, they occur spontaneously and suddenly. This is a sign of pathology.
- A sharp change in behavior. This symptom is most often seen inpuberty. A previously calm and friendly teenager may show unreasonable aggression. Or a talkative and sociable child withdraws into himself and is constantly silent. Parents often attribute such changes to the difficulties of adolescence, but this can also be a sign of pathology.
- Hyperactivity. Many children are very mobile. However, there are times when a child is excessively restless, his attention constantly switches from one object to another. He cannot engage in the same type of activity for a long time and quickly gets tired even from outdoor games. Such children always have great difficulties in learning due to restlessness.
If a child has the above behavioral features, then it is urgent to contact a child psychiatrist. Such manifestations cannot be corrected by educational methods. These are signs of a developing pathology that, without treatment, will progress and lead to negative personality changes.
Types of mental disorders
What types of mental he alth disorders are most common in children and adolescents? A child may suffer from the same pathologies as adults, such as schizophrenia, neurosis, eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia). However, there are disorders that are specific to childhood and adolescence. These include:
- mental retardation;
- mental retardation;
- autism;
- ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder andhyperactivity);
- Mixed Skills Disorder
Next, we will consider in detail the symptoms and characteristics of mental disorders in children, depending on the type of pathology.
Mental retardation (mental retardation)
With severe and moderate mental retardation, signs of a mental disorder in children are noticeable already in the first years of life. A mild degree of oligophrenia can manifest itself only in primary school age. The symptoms of this pathology are as follows:
- bad memory;
- cognitive decline;
- fuzzy speech;
- poor vocabulary;
- low attentiveness;
- not being able to think through the consequences of one's actions;
- weak emotional development.
Education of children with mental disorders of this type is carried out in correctional schools according to a special program or at home. The child also needs the supervision of a child psychiatrist. This violation cannot be cured or corrected completely. With a mild degree of oligophrenia, a child can be taught self-service skills and develop the ability to communicate with others. With severe mental retardation, the patient needs outside care.
Mental retardation
This pathology refers to borderline mental disorders. The child has no obvious signs of mental retardation, but his development is still below the age norm. Doctors also call this deviation mental infantilism.
A symptom of a mental disorder in preschool children isdelay in the development of speech, motor skills and emotions. This indicates developmental delay. The child begins to walk and talk late, with difficulty mastering new skills.
Children with borderline mental disorders of this type need developmental activities. If you give the child due attention, then as they grow older, the signs of pathology disappear. However, in some children, some manifestations of mental infantilism persist into adolescence and youth.
Mixed Skills Disorder
It is not uncommon for a child to have a normal intellect, but he is not able to master the skills of writing, counting and reading. This creates great difficulties in teaching in a regular school. In such cases, doctors speak of a mixed mental disorder in children.
During the diagnosis, the child does not show any neurological disorders or mental retardation. Memory and cognitive abilities remain within the normal range. This pathology is associated with the slow maturation of certain brain structures responsible for the ability to master school skills.
Children with these disorders need special education in spa schools or at home. They are encouraged to study on an individual program. It is impossible to cure such a violation with medical methods. This disorder is subject to correction only by pedagogical methods.
Autism
This mental disorder is congenital. The child has impaired contact with others and lacks social skills. Autistic people with difficultymaster speech and do not seek to communicate. They are completely immersed in their inner world.
This pathology is also characterized by stereotypical actions. A child can spend hours laying out the blocks in a certain order and at the same time show no interest in any other activities.
A he althy child usually learns different skills from adults. It is difficult for an autistic person to receive information from the outside world due to poor communication with other people. In addition, children with autism are very sensitive to any changes, which makes it difficult for them to learn anything new.
Autism is completely impossible to cure. However, this violation is subject to partial correction. With the help of medical and pedagogical methods, speech and communication skills can be developed in a child.
ADHD
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is most often observed in children 6-12 years old. This pathology is characterized by the following manifestations:
- restlessness;
- difficulty concentrating;
- increased distractibility;
- high mobility;
- intemperance;
- impulsiveness;
- excessive talkativeness.
Hyperactive children have normal intelligence. But due to restlessness and inattention, they, as a rule, study poorly. If left untreated in childhood, some ADHD symptoms may persist into adulthood. Mature people with hyperactivity are prone to bad habits and conflicts with others.
Eating disorders
Eating disorders are most common among teenagers. These psychopathologies are divided into 2 types:
- anorexia;
- bulimia.
With anorexia, the child constantly seems to be overweight, even if his body weight is within the normal range. These teenagers are extremely critical of their appearance. Because of the desire to lose weight, children completely refuse food or follow excessively strict diets. This leads to critical weight loss and serious physical he alth problems.
When a child has bulimia, there is a pathologically increased appetite. A teenager absorbs a huge amount of food in large portions. Overeating often occurs after stressful situations. At the same time, the child eats very quickly, practically without chewing food. The consequence of this pathology can be obesity and diseases of the digestive tract.
Childhood schizophrenia
Chizophrenia is rare in childhood. An important role in the occurrence of this pathology is played by the hereditary factor. Therefore, parents should carefully look at the behavior of the child if there have been cases of schizophrenia among his immediate family. This disease in children often manifests itself in preschool and adolescence. The following symptoms should be alarming:
- isolation;
- lack of will and apathy;
- untidiness;
- loss of interest in former favorite activities;
- illogicalstatements;
- sudden aggressiveness;
- freezing in strange awkward positions;
- nonsense;
- hallucinations.
If the child constantly has the above symptoms, then it is necessary to visit a child psychiatrist. Schizophrenia cannot be completely cured, but it is possible to keep the patient in remission for a long time. Without therapy, this pathology is steadily progressing and can lead to disability.
Treatment
The choice of treatment for psychogenic pathologies in children depends on the type of disease. In some cases, the problem can be de alt with quickly. In chronic pathologies, long-term, and sometimes lifelong, medication may be required. The following therapies are used:
- Psychotherapeutic methods. The doctor regularly talks with the child and his parents. He finds out the cause of the problem and recommends ways to resolve it. Also, during the conversation, the doctor can teach the child to control their behavior. In mild cases, a significant improvement can be achieved only with psychotherapy without the use of drugs.
- Drug treatment. In more complex cases, medication is needed. With increased aggressiveness, mood swings, depression, antidepressants, antipsychotics and sedatives are indicated. For developmental delay, a psychiatrist may recommend nootropics. When treating children, doctors try to select the most benign drugs in minimal doses.
- Inpatient treatment. In very severe cases, treatment in a pediatric setting may be required.psychiatric hospital. Hospitalization is necessary if the child has a tendency to self-harm, suicide attempts, delusions, hallucinations, severe aggression. Such children should be under constant medical supervision.
If parents notice signs of mental disorders in a child, then it is impossible to delay a visit to the doctor. Without treatment, such diseases progress and significantly complicate the adaptation of a person in society.
