Youth mental health can seem tricky—
All kids can be sad, anxious, irritable, or aggressive at times.
Most will find it hard to pay attention or relate to others at some point.
When those behaviors disrupt their daily life, last weeks, or create a pattern; it’s time to step in.
1 in 6
The number of U.S. kids aged 6-17 who experience a mental health disorder —and— the number of U.S. kids aged 2-8 diagnosed with a mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder each year.
—Priority Health
Those stats can be scary, but there is a lot you can do to stay on top of how your kid is truly doing.
Priority Health helped FOX 17 compile some advice to get you started:
Accept that mental health conditions are real, common, and treatable, and we all have a role to play in supporting developing minds.
Talk to their teacher, coach, or caretaker. The people who see them most (outside of you) will have a good idea of if a problem has popped up and what might be triggering it. Plus, districts have ways to help your kid during school hours.
Children with mental and developmental disorders like ADHD, anxiety, Autism, and more often need additional support for their mental health.
—The National Library Of Medicine at the National Institute of Health
Talk to their pediatrician. They are a wealth of resources and will walk you through everything.
Saving the most important for last because it really does all start here: Talk to your kid.
Make sure the lines of communication are open— no matter what— so they can come to you when something with anything, but keep checking in. Sometimes it’s hard for kids to process that there is a problem.
If their behavior has become dangerous— if they’ve hurt or start talking about hurting themselves or others— reach out for help immediately.
Call 988 or reach out to the 988 lifeline if you or a loved one are in crisis. You are not alone.
Priority Health members can access resources with the myStrength program, 24/7. Check the number on the back of your card.
