It’s usually easy for parents to identify their child’s physical needs, such as warm clothes when it’s cold, nutritious food, and bedtime at a reasonable hour. However, a child’s mental and emotional needs aren’t always as obvious. In fact, mental disorders severe enough to hinder kids from learning or developing properly are quite common, affecting about one in five of America’s youth. These disorders may show up as irritability, nightmares, disobedience, verbal and physical aggression, temper tantrums, hyperactivity and fidgeting, ongoing worry and anxiety, refusal to go to school or poor school performance. Untreated, mental disorders can have a serious impact on a child’s overall health and can lead to more severe mental illness. But tragically, almost half of adolescents who have a mental health disorder go untreated, according to a new survey by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
The study included data from 3,042 children and adolescents aged 8 to 15 whose families participated in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2001 to 2004. The young people were interviewed directly and parents or caregivers also provided information about the child’s mental health as well as what, if any, treatment they were receiving. The researchers tracked six mental disorders: attention deficit disorder (ADHD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder, depression, conduct disorder and eating disorders (anorexia and bulimia).
Overall, 13 percent of the participants met criteria for having at least one of the six mental disorders within the past year. Nearly 9 percent had ADHD, almost 4 percent had depression, over 2 percent had conduct disorder, and less than 1 percent had an anxiety or eating disorder. Approximately 1.8 percent had more than one disorder, usually a combination of conduct disorder and ADHD.
Some of the disorders showed significant differences between age and socioeconomic groups or genders. ADHD was about twice as common in boys than in girls while girls were about twice as likely to have mood disorders. Mood disorders were also more common among 12-to-15 year olds than in younger children. Those of a lower socioeconomic status were more likely to have any disorder, but particularly ADHD, while those in a higher socioeconomic bracket were more likely to have an anxiety disorder. Mexican-Americans had higher rates of mood disorders than whites or African-Americans, but overall, few ethnic differences in rates of disorders emerged.
The researchers also found that overall, 55 percent of those with a disorder had gotten professional help. However, only 32 percent of those with anxiety disorder had gotten treatment, which experts acknowledge is a very small portion. “It is not immediately evident that a child with anxiety is really suffering because they don’t make trouble,” said lead author Dr. Kathleen Merikangas, of NIMH. “If anything, those are the children who are quiet in class, they don’t respond, and teachers are not aware that these children are suffering. We need to be more aware of these conditions at the primary levels where we have our contact with kids—that’s the school system.”
Dr. Jon Shaw, a professor and director of child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, agrees that anxiety and depression in young people often go unrecognized but said there are probably many more kids with these problems than the study found. Shaw said parents and teachers “are much better observers of misbehaviors and poor observers of children who have internalizing disorders, such as anxiety and depression.”
Good mental health allows children to think clearly, develop socially and learn new skills. Additionally, support and encouragement from friends and adults is all important for helping children develop self confidence, high self-esteem, and a healthy emotional outlook on life. Merikangas says the earlier mental health disorders are identified, the better the chance of success in resolving them. “The earlier you can intervene, the less likely you are to see the consequences of these conditions, such as kids developing substance abuse, suicide, kids dropping out of school and kids not being able to function in their social roles,” she said.
The study was published online December 14 in Pediatrics.
by – Madeline Ellis/healthnews.com
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