Child And Adolescent Psychiatric Disorders And Their Daily Functioning

The correlation of mental health and substance use in adolescence is very problematic. Many believe that the relationship between the two are so strong that it plays a causative role in the development of adolescents. It places adolescents at risk for problems within their families, communities, and as an individual. This disease can be severe enough that it impairs the adolescent 's ability to function as a person. Both mental health and substance abuse are entangled within one another, that it makes it difficult to decipher which condition is causing each symptom. However, several research studies concluded that adolescents who suffer from mental illness may self-medicate their symptoms by using drugs. The juvenile justice systems suffer from adolescents with mental health disorders, substance abuse or even both.

“Nearly 5 million children in the U.S. have some type of mental illness” (Goldberg). It is agreeable that there are many young children that deal with mental illness every day. Schools should be concerned for every student’s well being. Moreover, mental health is a part of a person’s overall “well being.” Therefore, schools need to make the mental health of students a stronger focus and implement plans to keep students mentally well and educated. To help create a positive, mental health aware environment where students feel open to seek help, high school students should be educated on how to be mentally healthy, be given a safe place to seek help, and be encouraged to monitor and maintain their mental health. Mental illness and mental health care need to be a more eminent priority in our society, starting with high schools.

It is estimated that one in every five youth experience mental illnesses that interfere with their everyday routines (“NAMI”). Mental health in the United States is a growing epidemic that needs to be solved. Youth with mental illnesses may never know that they have one; screenings for mental health are not something a lot of people take advantage of. Schools are a place where youth develop the most. In order for this to happen, society needs to make schools feel welcoming and provide support for those who need help. While some people do not believe mental illnesses exist, schools should require mental health screenings in order to prevent future violent situations, educate their staff, and do more to make students feel comfortable.

Adolescence is a critical time of development. During this period there are significant changes in brain development, emotions, cognition, behavior, and personal relationships. It is during this time that most major mental health disorders appear, many of which carry over into adulthood. Behavior patterns such as substance abuse also often develop during this time and may continue throughout adulthood. Many adolescents struggling with mental health issues begin to exhibit symptoms such as acting out at home or in school, showing a decreased interest in activities that they previously enjoyed, or bringing home poor grades. Others ultimately are charged with offenses ranging from status

While Reading the book, Lost at School, written by Ross W. Greene, one can appreciate the clear focus and overall direction for teaching different students with maladaptive behaviors. For teachers, those children present the greatest obstacle in education. A student’s mental health problems allude to the challenges in teaching. It’s hard enough to keep a large group of adolescents on task in the first place, let alone when there may be one or more children with maladaptive behaviors in a single class, who have a hard time regulating their focus levels like the typical student. The number of disruptive students has seemingly increased through the years. Now studies show that, “About 10 percent of the school population—9 to 13 million children—struggle with mental health problems. In a typical classroom of 20, chances are good that one or two students are dealing with serious psychosocial stressors relating to poverty, domestic violence, abuse and neglect, trauma, or a psychiatric disorder. These children represent the most challenging students in our classrooms today.” (Rappaport and Minahan) To combat those alarming statistics, Ross Greene’s informational book talks about how to improve a child’s behavior, while embracing the patience it takes to effectively communicate with such children.

Challenges due to poverty could be addressed by providing financial assistance, food, and clothing. Time spent with parents is essential when dealing with children who have behavioral issues because parents or guardians may not have the funds or time to spend with their children due to other obligations needed to support the family. Parents and guardians play a major role in helping children grow and develop to their fullest potential. As children grow, they depend on their parents or guardians for basic needs and support such as food, shelter, education, protection, and care. During their life difficulties and times of crisis, they depend on family for guidance. Mental disorders in childhood and adolescence can

Psychosocial issues such as anxiety and depression can contribute to medical problems, substance abuse, and a life of crime. If psychosocial issues are not treated, they may affect the child health and wellness. It is very important for the child to learn ways to cope with these issues to be able to live a healthy and fulfilled life. Anxiety and depression can cause a child to withdraw from society and have problems trusting people. Children and adolescents with psychosocial problems often lead a destructive lifestyle. These children and adolescents are at risk for becoming alcoholics and committing crimes as teenagers and/or adults (James,

Have you ever wondered why states spend roughly one billion dollars a year on children (20 and under) who are attempting suicide or have attempted suicide (Nami, 2010)? That is due to the thousands of children who live their daily lives with an undiagnosed mental disorder. What is children’s mental health? Children’s mental health is defined as growing emotionally while developing healthful social skills and learning how to deal with problems (CDC, 2013). Some mental disorders found in children include: mood and anxiety disorders, behavior disorders, Autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia, and substance use disorder. ADHD, a neurodevelopmental disorder, is the most common disorder of children

Many youth committed to the Juvenile Justice Department require treatment by licensed mental health providers. With effective intervention to prevent and treat PPD, mothers can build a positive relationship with their children, leading to decreased numbers of young people needing mental health care later. Failure to address the consequences of depression for large numbers of vulnerable, young children presents a missed opportunity to help families and children in a way that will have far-reaching implications for the productivity, health, and well-being of the next generation (Center On The Developing Child At Harvard University,

The mental health of the children and adolescents in Massachusetts is being inadequately addressed, with nearly 100,000 individuals needing more comprehensive care for mental health issues. The inadequacies in our system are particularly devastating to this population, with disruptions to education and social development, and a higher likelihood of continuing mental health issues. This is a complicated topic, and though there have been many interventions proposed, there are several interventions we recommend here that we believe

At an early age, children experience stress that may stem from a number of different sources. Some of the experiences that may put a child at risk and under stress include poverty, abuse, or mental health issues found at home or within themselves (Greenberg, Domitrovich, & Bumbarger, 2001). It is estimated that up to 20% of children in the United States experience a mental health disorder in a given year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). Many children who need mental health services are not getting the care that they need (Kerr & Nelson, 2002). Mental health services are sometimes unknown to parents, teachers, and other caregivers. Having these services integrated into the

There exists a limited amount of research in the field of child and youth mental health despite the high level of documented need in this area (Nadeau, Rousseau & Measham, 2012). In fact, near epidemic rates of mental health concerns have been found:

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of school-based mental health programs on the academic achievement of middle school students in a school district serving twenty-five middle schools. This study will also look at the academic and behavioral differences, if any, among students before and after receiving services. The National Center for Education Statistics, 2001, states that academic success is important because it is strongly linked to the positive outcomes that teachers, parents, and society value for children. According to Kutash, Duchnowski, and Lynn, with much focus being placed on accountability and school reform, the mental health community should be aware that their interventions must align with the

Pre-adolescence is a crucial stage in a child’s life because it is during this stage that kids can learn the coping mechanism that can prevent complications later on in life (Britton et al., 2014). Some children and adolescents may not have the opportunity to seek proper mental health care during their childhood. This may be due to parents overworking or simply not being able to afford quality mental health care services (Bucci et al., 2016). However, schools can serve children and adolescents as a

School-age children(7-11 Years) have poor school performance. The child finds studying and learning difficult when the child cannot stop worrying about what happened at home the night before or who is going to get hurt that night, or maybe even killed later on. The child will also have behavior problems with peers and adults. Because of the lack of observable