How are mental illnesses diagnosed in young children?
A. Just like adults, children with mental illness are diagnosed after a doctor or mental health specialist carefully observes signs and symptoms. Some primary care physicians can diagnose your child themselves, but many will send you to a specialist who can diagnose and treat children.
A. Just like adults, children with mental illness are diagnosed after a doctor or mental health specialist carefully observes signs and symptoms. Some primary care physicians can diagnose your child themselves, but many will send you to a specialist who can diagnose and treat children.
Before diagnosing a mental illness, the doctor or specialist tries to rule out other possible causes for your child’s behavior. The doctor will:
Take a history of any important medical problems Take a history of the problem – how long you have seen the problem – as well as a history of your child’s development Take a family history of mental disorders Ask if the child has experienced physical or psychological traumas, such as a natural disaster, or situations that may cause stress, such as a death in the family Consider reports from parents and other caretakers or teachers.
Very young children often cannot express their thoughts and feelings, so making a diagnosis can be challenging. The signs of a mental illness in a young child may be quite different from those in an older child or adult.
As parents and caregivers know, children are constantly changing and growing. Diagnosis and treatment must be viewed with these changes in mind. While some problems are short-lived and don’t need treatment, others are ongoing and may be very serious. In either case, more information will help you understand treatment choices and manage the disorder or problem most effectively.
While diagnosing mental health problems in young children can be challenging, it is important. A diagnosis can be used to guide treatment and link your child’s care to research on children with similar problems.
Take a history of any important medical problems Take a history of the problem – how long you have seen the problem – as well as a history of your child’s development Take a family history of mental disorders Ask if the child has experienced physical or psychological traumas, such as a natural disaster, or situations that may cause stress, such as a death in the family Consider reports from parents and other caretakers or teachers.
Very young children often cannot express their thoughts and feelings, so making a diagnosis can be challenging. The signs of a mental illness in a young child may be quite different from those in an older child or adult.
As parents and caregivers know, children are constantly changing and growing. Diagnosis and treatment must be viewed with these changes in mind. While some problems are short-lived and don’t need treatment, others are ongoing and may be very serious. In either case, more information will help you understand treatment choices and manage the disorder or problem most effectively.
While diagnosing mental health problems in young children can be challenging, it is important. A diagnosis can be used to guide treatment and link your child’s care to research on children with similar problems.
