TherapyTribe - Featuring Parenting & Child Counseling Services, National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day.

Online, May 28, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Helping young children and their parents manage difficulties early in life may prevent the development of mental health disorders. Once a mental illness develops and becomes a regular part of your child's behavior, it may be more difficult to treat. Early diagnosis and professional counseling can be critical for the health of the child as well and the entire family.
According to the NIMH, "Research shows that half of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14. Scientists are discovering that changes in the body leading to mental illness may start much earlier, before any symptoms appear."
Disorders affecting children may include anxiety disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, depression, eating disorders, and schizophrenia.

What should I do if my child shows symptoms of a mental health disorder?
Talk to your child's doctor or mental health care provider. Ask questions and learn everything you can about the behavior or symptoms that concern you. If your child is in school ask the teachers what they have observed.
Ask your doctor if you should seek further evaluation from a child therapist or specialist with experience in child behavioral problems. Child therapy specialists may include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, marriage and family counsellors, psychiatric nurses, and behavioral therapists. Some educators may also help evaluate your child.
TherapyTribe.com encourages you to interview more than one child therapy specialist to find the right fit for you, your family and your child. Ask each child therapy specialist, "Do you have experience treating the problems I see in my child?" To search for child behavioral specialists in your area visit TherapyTribe.com; and review the directory of over 1,000 detailed professional therapist profiles across the US, Canada and Australia.

How are mental illnesses diagnosed in young children?
Just like adults, children with mental illness are diagnosed after careful observation of the concerning signs and symptoms. Very young children often cannot express their thoughts and feelings, so making a diagnosis can be challenging and must rely on observation from parents and caregivers. Before diagnosis, a child behavioral therapist will:
• Take a history of any important medical problems
• Take a history of the problem and of your child's development
• Take a family history of mental disorders
• Ask if the child has experienced physical or psychological traumas
• Consider reports from parents and other caretakers or teachers
(Note: The signs of a mental illness in a young child may be quite different from those in an older child or adult.)

What is the role of parents and family in the treatment of mental illnesses in young children?
As the child's parents, you are a critical part of your child's on-going development and treatment. It is imperative you continue to learn everything you can about the problem or diagnosis. The more you learn, the better you can work with your child's doctor and make decisions that feel right for you, your child, your family and your marriage.
Children with mental illness need guidance and understanding from their parents and teachers. However, like other serious illnesses, taking care of a child with mental illness is hard on the parents, families, caregivers as well as marriages. The stress that you experience as parents can strain your marriage and other relationships and can lead to physical and mental exhaustion.
Often times, before a child is diagnosed, frustration, blame, and anger may have built up within a family. Parents and children may need special help to undo these unhealthy interaction patterns. Mental health professionals can counsel the child and family to help everyone develop new skills, attitudes, and ways of relating to each other.
It may be just as important that you as parents seek counseling services from a Marriage & Family Therapist. Marriage counselors specialize in family and interpersonal dynamics in the family unit. They treat individuals in the context of family relationships, addressing issues from anger and resentment to intimacy communication skills and parenting roles. Therapists can help family members find better ways to handle disruptive behaviors and encourage behavior changes.
In addition, mental illnesses often run in families. It is important to take a holistic approach to managing your families' mental health-especially in the case of family trauma or extreme stress from a death in the family, illness in a parent, family financial problems, divorce, or other events.

National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day
National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (May 6, 2010) is a day for everyone to promote positive youth development, resilience, recovery, and the transformation of mental health services delivery for children and youth with serious mental health needs and their families. Awareness Day raises awareness of effective programs for children's mental health needs; demonstrates how children's mental health initiatives promote positive youth development, recovery, and resilience; and shows how children with mental health needs thrive in their communities.