The Prevalence of Mental Health Disorders, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders and Mental Illness in Children

 Mental Health  No Responses »
Nov 042010
 

Mental health disorders and mental illnesses affect a greater number of children and juveniles than many people are aware of. These emotional and behavioral disorders can have profound negative effects on the growth and development of children, especially when they go unnoticed and untreated. A greater proportion of children and youth in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems have mental health problems than children and youth in the general population.

-50% of children and youth in the child welfare system have mental health problems.
-67% to 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have a diagnosable mental health disorder.

Prevalence Estimates of Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders In Young People

DISORDER                                            PERCENTAGE OF YOUNG PEOPLE AFFECTED

Learning D/O:                                                                5%
Substance use / addiction disorder:                                  10.3%
CD:                                                                              3.5%
ODD:                                                                            2.8%
ADHD:                                                                           4.5%
Anxiety Disorders (various):                                             8%
Unipolar Disorder:                                                           5.2%
One or more disorders:                                                   17%

(D/O = Disorder; CD = Conduct Disorder; ODD = Oppositional Defiant Disorder; ADHD = Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Source: Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, 2009. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, of the National Academies.)

Early Detection and Intervention are Critical

The onset of major mental illness may occur as early as 7 to 11 years old.
-Research supported by the National Institute of Mental Health indicates that half of adults with MEB disorders were first diagnosed by age 14 and three fourths were diagnosed by age 24.  
-Factors that predict mental health problems can be identified in the early years, with children and youth from low-income  households at increased risk for mental health problems.  

Age at Onset of First Symptom of Full Psychiatric Disorder, by Age 21

DISORDER                        AVG. AGE OF FIRST SYMPTOM            AVG. AGE OF FIRST DIAGNOSIS

ADHD:                                            Age 5                                                 Age 5
ODD:                                              Age 5                                                 Age 10
CD:                                                Age 6                                                 Age 11
Anxiety Disorders (Various):              Age 7                                                 Age 8
Depression:                                     Age 12                                               Age 15
Substance Abuse:                             Age 14                                               Age 15
Substance Dependence:                    Age 16                                               Age 17
Any Psychiatric Diagnosis:                  Age 9                                                 Age 11

(Source: Preventing Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People, 2009. National Research Council and Institute of Medicine, of the National Academies)

Obstacles to Access and Quality in Mental Healthcare

Several federal commissions and workgroups federal task forces have documented the need for improved and expanded mental health services for children and youth.

-It is estimated that less than 1 in 5 of these children receive the appropriate needed treatment  
-Only 15% of youths who had difficulties had parents that actively talked to a health care provider or school staff about their child?s emotional or behavioral difficulties.  

There is not adequate financial support for quality services to prevent and treat mental health problems of children and youth. Many child mental health services are not covered by managed care payers. In 2007, 3.1 million youths, (12.5 percent of 12 to 17 year olds) received treatment or counseling for problems with behavior or emotional disturbances in specialty mental health settings (which include inpatient and outpatient care).

Effective Treatment and Prevention Exists

Clear windows of opportunity are available to prevent MEB disorders and related problems before they occur. An intervention before a disorder manifests itself is possible and offers the best opportunity to protect young people. Effective prevention includes strengthening families by targeting problems, strengthening individuals by building resilience and skills, preventing specific disorders by screening individuals at risk, promoting mental health in schools and promoting mental health through health care and community programs. The key to most approaches is to identify risks (biological, psychological and social factors) that may increase a child?s risk of MEB disorders.

Children With Bipolar Disorder – How To Diagnose And Treat Kids

 Tips  No Responses »
Nov 032010
 

Bipolar disorder was once only seen in adults but studies are showing children also get the manic depressive illness. The only issue is many of the kids are being diagnosed as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) Though now many researchers and doctors are realizing that bipolar is rearing its ugly self in childhood along in adolescence.

The early the diagnosis is made in children, the better their chances of having successful treatments and living inhibited lives that would otherwise be full of chaos. It seems though that anything doing with children is full of controversy. Medicating children with bipolar is not without its debates. Many doctors feel with medication (which is given first) along with talk therapy will work. However, many parents along with psychologists disagree with this method.

It seems that as soon as parents realize their child is on medication that the child loses some of his or her personality.. a sense of who they are that parents seem to love. It’s not true actually. Anytime a person is medicated or overly medicated, they do not lose a sense of who they are. However, it can be said that medications can make some children “spacey” or just plain “out of it”. This of course causes concern among the parents and doctors, making them questions if medicine is actually necessary and if the child is better off without any.

An effective therapy for children is play therapy especially for children with bipolar disorder. These children tend to live better childhoods. Play therapy typically places the child in certain “pretend” situations where they must have a logically and emotionally healthy solution. Play therapy is good for some children but not so good in others. In certain bipolar children, the mood swings are so strong that the child cannot control both their emotional reactions and other actions to situations.

A new therapy being introduced is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. The therapy centers on the patient learning to recognize bipolar symptoms, what triggers it and inappropriate behaviors that go along with it. It also comes up with alternatives to that “bad” behavior. This therapy allows the patient to discover for themselves what they can do to avoid manic or depressive episodes and how to effectively manage it. For adults, this is a good option… for children, however, it is still quite new. This therapy does work well with medicine therapy.

Cognitive therapy requires some level of resolving crisis and vital thinking that does not occur in children typically. For that reason, it is not used a lot in children under certain age guidelines and their maturity level. Some researchers say if the cognitive and behavioral therapy had some changes and were geared toward children, that it could work. This can prove difficult to do however.

No matter the end result, childhood treatment options should be discussed with their doctor, psychiatrists, psychologists, parents and teachers to come up with a livable and realistic treatment. Every person that child comes into contact should be aware of the process in order for it to be triumphant. Should they have concerns about what kind of effects it will have on the child or they see a difference in a bad result, they need to speak up when necessary. Parents should also not be afraid to change doctors if they feel their child is not getting the care and attention they need. The goal behind treatment is to get the child to live in society and function “normally” as the law says.

Bipolar Disorder in Children

 Tips  No Responses »
Nov 012010
 

Bipolar disorder is a being diagnosed in children as young as six years old in recent years. Some doctors think this is a good assessment of many children while others think the diagnosis is overdone. While it may be just an intellectual controversy to some, others who know a child who may have bipolar disorder will not be amused. It is important therefore to take into account all the facets of the disorder.

It is a tricky diagnosis to say the least. Bipolar disorder in children often appears similar to ADHD, or as simply rambunctious childhood behavior. Young children may cycle fast, meaning that they go from a depressed state to a manic state and back, etc. very quickly, often within weeks or even days.

Suicide attempts often happen on the spur of the moment, with little or no warning. This is different than in most adults where the depression is often long-lasting and suicide attempts may be well thought-out. For this reason it is imperative that children with the disorder be treated successfully.

Bipolar disorder in children often presents in mania. In the younger children this is often likely to come with hallucinations, both auditory and visual. It may seem that these would be difficult to distinguish from a healthy imagination. Sometimes, in fact, it is. Many times, though, the visions and voices are more disturbing and threatening than a healthy child would imagine.

Teens with bipolar disorder are, for the most part, similar in their symptoms to adults. A major complicating factor with teens is the use of drugs and alcohol. As with adults, this practice of trying to use street drugs and alcohol to control mood swings, is called “self-medicating.” It is a dangerous business and often masks the symptoms of the disorder. Bipolar disorder in children should always be considered when drugs are being used by them, if only to rule it out.

Bipolar disorder in children who are older, such as teenagers, is still different from the adult disorder in that the person with the disorder is still a minor. This leads to situations where the older child has an adversarial relationship with authorities and is therefore hard to convince that treatment is a good thing.

There are some ways to cut down on the confusion. Speaking with the child’s teachers gives an outside opinion of how the child is doing day-to-day. Also, this shows how the child fares in a different setting from the home environment. Bipolar disorder in children, if it is masquerading as some other form of disorder or behavior, is more likely to be found out if more people are alert to its symptoms.

Getting a second opinion is also very important, since so many doctors disagree on bipolar disorder in children. Once the second opinion is obtained, the family can make a more informed decision as to what the problem is and how to proceed. Doctors may not all agree on bipolar disorder in children, but a second opinion should help to clarify the situation. The parent or guardian can listen carefully and determine if the doctor’s explanation sounds accurate. Then, ultimately, it is the parents’ job to make the call. Misdiagnosis and wrong treatment would be unthinkable, but if bipolar disorder in children is the correct diagnosis, it is surely better to accept it.

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