Mentally ill children. Nervous disorder: causes. How to recognize mental disorders in a child

Both psychological, biological, and sociopsychological factors belong to the list of what can cause a mental disorder in early age. And how the disease manifests itself directly depends on its nature and the degree of exposure to the irritant. A mental disorder in a minor patient can be caused by a genetic predisposition.

Doctors often define the disorder as a consequence of:

  • limited intellectual abilities,
  • brain damage,
  • problems within the family,
  • regular conflicts with loved ones and peers.

Emotional trauma can lead to serious mental illness. For example, a deterioration in the psycho-emotional state of a child occurs as a result of an event that caused a shock.

Symptoms

Minor patients are susceptible to the same mental disorders as adults. But diseases usually manifest themselves in different ways. Thus, in adults, the most common manifestation of the disorder is a state of sadness and depression. Children, in turn, more often show the first signs of aggression and irritability.

How the disease begins and progresses in a child depends on the type of acute or chronic disorder:

  • Hyperactivity - main feature attention deficit disorder. The disorder can be identified by three key symptoms: inability to concentrate, excessive activity, including emotional activity, impulsive, and sometimes aggressive behavior.
  • The signs and severity of symptoms of autistic mental disorders are variable. However, in all cases, the disorder affects the minor patient's ability to communicate and interact with others.
  • A child’s reluctance to eat and excessive attention to weight changes indicate eating disorders. They interfere with daily life and harm your health.
  • If a child is prone to losing touch with reality, memory loss, and inability to navigate time and space, this may be a symptom of schizophrenia.

It is easier to treat a disease when it just begins. And in order to identify the problem in time, it is also important to pay attention to:

  • Changes in the child's mood. If children feel sad or anxious for a long time, action needs to be taken.
  • Excessive emotionality. Increased severity of emotion, for example, fear - alarming symptom. Emotionality without a justified reason can also provoke violations heart rate and breathing.
  • Atypical behavioral reactions. A signal of a mental disorder may be a desire to harm oneself or others, or frequent fights.

Diagnosis of mental disorder in a child

The basis for making a diagnosis is the totality of symptoms and the degree to which the disorder affects the child’s daily activities. If necessary, related specialists help diagnose the disease and its type:

  • psychologists,
  • social workers,
  • behavioral therapist, etc.

Work with a minor patient occurs on an individual basis using an approved symptom database. Tests are prescribed primarily for the diagnosis of eating disorders. It is mandatory to study the clinical picture, history of diseases and injuries, including psychological ones, preceding the disorder. Accurate and strict methods There are no tests to identify a mental disorder.

Complications

The dangers of a mental disorder depend on its nature. In most cases, the consequences are expressed in violation of:

  • communication skills,
  • intellectual activity,
  • correct reaction to situations.

Often mental disorders in children are accompanied by suicidal tendencies.

Treatment

What can you do

In order to cure a mental disorder in a minor patient, the participation of doctors, parents, and teachers is necessary - all the people with whom the child comes into contact. Depending on the type of disease, it can be treated using psychotherapeutic methods or using drug therapy. The success of treatment directly depends on the specific diagnosis. Some diseases are incurable.

The task of parents is to consult a doctor in time and give detailed information about symptoms. It is necessary to describe the most significant discrepancies between the child’s current state and behavior and previous ones. The specialist must tell parents what to do with the disorder and how to provide first aid during home treatment if the situation worsens. During the therapy period, the parents’ task is to ensure the most comfortable environment and complete absence of stressful situations.

What does a doctor do

As part of psychotherapy, a psychologist talks with the patient, helping him to independently assess the depth of his experiences and understand his condition, behavior, and emotions. The goal is to develop the correct reaction to acute situations and freely overcome the problem. Drug treatment provides for the following:

  • stimulants,
  • antidepressants,
  • sedatives,
  • stabilizing and antipsychotic drugs.

Prevention

Psychologists remind parents that the family environment and upbringing have great importance when it comes to the psychological and nervous stability of children. For example, divorce or regular quarrels between parents can provoke violations. Mental disorder can be prevented by providing constant support to the child, allowing him to share his experiences without embarrassment or fear.

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Arm yourself with knowledge and read a useful informative article about mental disorder in children. After all, being parents means studying everything that will help maintain the degree of health in the family at around “36.6”.

Find out what can cause the disease and how to recognize it in a timely manner. Find information about the signs that can help you identify illness. And what tests will help identify the disease and make a correct diagnosis.

In the article you will read everything about methods of treating a disease such as mental disorder in children. Find out what effective first aid should be. How to treat: choose medications or traditional methods?

You will also learn how untimely treatment of a mental disorder in children can be dangerous, and why it is so important to avoid the consequences. All about how to prevent mental disorder in children and prevent complications.

And caring parents will find on the service pages complete information about the symptoms of mental disorder in children. How do the signs of the disease in children aged 1, 2 and 3 differ from the manifestations of the disease in children aged 4, 5, 6 and 7? What is the best way to treat mental illness in children?

Take care of the health of your loved ones and stay in good shape!

Mental disorders in children arise due to special factors that provoke developmental disorders of the child’s psyche. The mental health of children is so vulnerable that clinical manifestations and their reversibility depend on the age of the child and the duration of exposure to special factors.

The decision to consult a child with a psychotherapist is usually not an easy one for parents. In the understanding of parents, this means recognizing suspicions that the child has neuropsychiatric disorders. Many adults are afraid of registering their child, as well as the limited forms of education associated with this, and the limited choice of profession in the future. For this reason, parents often try not to notice behavioral features, development, and oddities, which are usually manifestations of mental disorders in children.

If parents are inclined to believe that the child needs to be treated, then first, as a rule, attempts are made to treat neuropsychiatric disorders using home remedies or advice from familiar healers. After unsuccessful independent attempts to improve the condition of their offspring, parents decide to seek qualified help. When turning to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist for the first time, parents often try to do this anonymously and unofficially.

Responsible adults should not hide from problems and, when recognizing early signs of neuropsychiatric disorders in children, promptly consult a doctor and then follow his recommendations. Every parent should have the necessary knowledge in the field neurotic disorders in order to prevent deviations in the development of your child and, if necessary, seek help at the first signs of a disorder, since issues related to the mental health of children are too serious. It is unacceptable to experiment with treatment on your own, so you should promptly contact specialists for advice.

Parents often write off mental disorders in children by age, implying that the child is still small and does not understand what is happening to him. Often this state is perceived as a normal manifestation of whims, but modern experts argue that mental disorders are very noticeable to the naked eye. Often these deviations have a negative impact on the baby’s social capabilities and development. If you seek help in a timely manner, some disorders can be completely cured. If suspicious symptoms are detected in a child in the early stages, severe consequences can be prevented.

Mental disorders in children are divided into 4 classes:

  • developmental delays;
  • early childhood;
  • attention deficit disorder.

Causes of mental disorders in children

The appearance of mental disorders can be caused by various reasons. Doctors say that their development can be influenced by all sorts of factors: psychological, biological, sociopsychological.

Provoking factors are: genetic predisposition to mental illness, incompatibility in the type of temperament of parent and child, limited intelligence, brain damage, family problems, conflicts, traumatic events. Family education is not the least important.

Mental disorders in children of primary school age often arise due to parental divorce. The risk of mental disorders often increases in children from single-parent families, or if one of the parents has a history of mental illness. To determine what type of help needs to be provided to your baby, you must accurately determine the cause of the problem.

Symptoms of mental disorders in children

These disorders in a baby are diagnosed based on the following symptoms:

  • tics, obsession syndrome;
  • ignoring established rules;
  • for no apparent reason, frequently changing mood;
  • decreased interest in active games;
  • slow and unusual body movements;
  • deviations associated with impaired thinking;

The periods of greatest susceptibility to mental and nervous disorders occur during age-related crises, which cover the following age periods: 3-4 years, 5-7 years, 12-18 years. From this it is obvious that adolescence and childhood are the right time for the development of psychogenics.

Mental disorders in children under one year of age are caused by the existence of a limited range of negative and positive needs (signals) that children must satisfy: pain, hunger, sleep, the need to cope with natural needs.

All these needs are of vital importance and cannot be unsatisfied, therefore, the more pedantic the parents observe the regime, the faster a positive stereotype is developed. Failure to satisfy one of the needs can lead to a psychogenic cause, and the more violations are noted, the more severe the deprivation. In other words, the reaction of a baby under one year old is determined by the motives of satisfying instincts and, of course, in the very first place, this is the instinct of self-preservation.

Mental disorders in children 2 years of age are observed if the mother maintains an excessive connection with the child, thereby promoting infantilization and inhibition of its development. Such attempts by the parent, creating obstacles to the child’s self-affirmation, can lead to frustration, as well as elementary psychogenic reactions. While the feeling of overdependence on the mother persists, the child’s passivity develops. With additional stress, such behavior can take on a pathological character, which often happens in insecure and fearful children.

Mental disorders in 3-year-old children manifest themselves in capriciousness, disobedience, vulnerability, increased fatigue, and irritability. It is necessary to be careful when suppressing the growing activity of a child at the age of 3 years, since this can contribute to a lack of communication and a lack of emotional contact. A lack of emotional contact can lead to (withdrawal), speech disorders (delayed speech development, refusal to communicate or verbal contact).

Mental disorders in children 4 years old manifest themselves in stubbornness, protest against the authority of adults, and psychogenic breakdowns. Internal tension, discomfort, and sensitivity to deprivation (restriction) are also noted, which causes.

The first neurotic manifestations in 4-year-old children are found in behavioral reactions of refusal and protest. Minor negative influences are enough to disrupt the baby’s mental balance. The baby is able to react to pathological situations and negative events.

Mental disorders in 5-year-old children reveal themselves to be ahead of the mental development of their peers, especially if the child’s interests become one-sided. The reason for seeking help from a psychiatrist should be the child’s loss of previously acquired skills, for example: he rolls cars aimlessly, his vocabulary becomes poorer, he becomes untidy, he stops role-playing games, communicates little.

Mental disorders in children aged 7 years are associated with preparation and entry into school. Instability of mental balance, fragility of the nervous system, readiness for psychogenic disorders may be present in children 7 years old. The basis for these manifestations is a tendency to psychosomatic asthenia (appetite disturbances, sleep disturbances, fatigue, dizziness, decreased performance, tendency to fear) and overwork.

Classes at school then become the cause of neurosis when the demands placed on the child do not correspond to his capabilities and he lags behind in school subjects.

Mental disorders in children 12-18 years of age manifest themselves in the following features:

- tendency to sharp fluctuations moods, restlessness, melancholy, anxiety, negativism, impulsiveness, conflict, aggressiveness, conflicting feelings;

- sensitivity to others’ assessment of one’s strength, appearance, skills, abilities, excessive self-confidence, excessive criticality, disregard for the judgments of adults;

- a combination of sensitivity with callousness, irritability with painful shyness, desire for recognition with independence;

- rejection of generally accepted rules and deification of random idols, as well as sensual fantasy with dry philosophizing;

- schizoid and cycloid;

- the desire for philosophical generalizations, a tendency to extreme positions, internal inconsistency of the psyche, the egocentrism of youthful thinking, uncertainty in the level of aspirations, a tendency to theorize, maximalism in assessments, a variety of experiences associated with awakening sexual desire;

- intolerance to care, unmotivated mood swings.

Often the protest of teenagers grows into absurd opposition and senseless stubbornness to any reasonable advice. Self-confidence and arrogance develop.

Signs of mental disorder in children

The likelihood of developing mental disorders in children varies at different ages. Considering that mental development in children is uneven, during certain periods it becomes disharmonious: some functions are formed faster than others.

Signs of mental disorder in children can manifest themselves in the following manifestations:

- a feeling of isolation and deep sadness that lasts more than 2-3 weeks;

- attempts to kill or harm yourself;

- all-consuming fear without reason, accompanied by fast breathing And strong heartbeat;

- participation in numerous fights, use of weapons with the desire to harm someone;

- uncontrollable, cruel behavior that causes harm to both oneself and others;

- refusing to eat, using laxatives, or throwing away food in order to lose weight;

- severe anxiety that interferes with normal activities;

- difficulty concentrating, as well as the inability to sit still, which poses a physical danger;

- use of alcohol or drugs;

- severe mood swings leading to relationship problems;

- changes in behavior.

It is difficult to determine based on these signs alone accurate diagnosis, therefore, parents should, upon discovering the above manifestations, contact a psychotherapist. These signs do not necessarily have to appear in children who have psychical deviations.

Treatment of mental problems in children

For help in choosing a treatment method, you should contact a child psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Most disorders require long-term treatment. To treat young patients, the same drugs are used as for adults, but in smaller doses.

How to treat mental disorders in children? Antipsychotics, anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, various stimulants and mood stabilizers are effective in treatment. Of great importance: parental attention and love. Parents should not ignore the first signs of disorders developing in a child.

If strange symptoms appear in a child’s behavior, you can get advisory assistance on issues of concern to child psychologists.

In childhood, the most various diseases- neuroses, schizophrenia, epilepsy, exogenous brain damage. Although the main signs of these diseases that are most important for diagnosis appear at any age, the symptoms in children are somewhat different from those observed in adults. However, there are a number of disorders that are specific to childhood, although some of them may persist throughout a person’s life. These disorders reflect disturbances in the natural course of development of the body; they are relatively stable; significant fluctuations in the child’s condition (remissions) are usually not observed, as well as a sharp increase in symptoms. As they develop, some of the anomalies can be compensated or disappear altogether. Most of the disorders described below occur more often in boys.

Childhood autism

Childhood autism (Kanner syndrome) occurs with a frequency of 0.02-0.05%. It occurs 3-5 times more often in boys than in girls. Although developmental abnormalities can be identified in infancy, the disease is usually diagnosed between the ages of 2 and 5 years, when social communication skills are developing. The classic description of this disorder [Kanner L., 1943] includes extreme isolation, a desire for loneliness, difficulties in emotional communication with others, inadequate use of gestures, intonation and facial expressions when expressing emotions, deviations in the development of speech with a tendency to repeat, echolalia, incorrect use of pronouns (“you” instead of “I”), monotonous repetition of noise and words, decreased spontaneous activity, stereotypy, mannerisms. These disorders are combined with excellent mechanical memory and obsessive desire maintaining everything unchanged, fear of change, the desire to achieve completeness in any action, preference for communicating with objects over communicating with people. The danger is represented by the tendency of these patients to self-harm (biting, pulling out hair, hitting the head). At high school age, epileptic seizures often occur. Concomitant mental retardation is observed in 2/3 of patients. It is noted that the disorder often occurs after an intrauterine infection (rubella). These facts support the organic nature of the disease. A similar syndrome, but without intellectual impairment, was described by H. Asperger (1944), who considered it as a hereditary disease (concordance in identical twins up to 35%). Di This disorder must be differentiated from oligophrenia and childhood schizophrenia. The prognosis depends on the severity of the organic defect. Most patients show some improvement in behavior with age. For treatment, special training methods, psychotherapy, and small doses of haloperidol are used.

Childhood hyperkinetic disorder

Hyperkinetic behavior disorder (hyperdynamic syndrome) is relatively frequent violation development (from 3 to 8% of all children). The ratio of boys to girls is 5:1. Characterized by extreme activity, mobility, and impaired attention, which prevents regular classes and the assimilation of school material. The work started, as a rule, is not completed; with good mental abilities, children quickly cease to be interested in the task, lose and forget things, get into fights, cannot sit in front of the TV screen, constantly pester others with questions, push, pinch and pull parents and peers. It is assumed that the disorder is based on minimal brain dysfunction, but clear signs of a psychoorganic syndrome are almost never observed. In most cases, behavior normalizes between the ages of 12 and 20, but to prevent the formation of persistent psychopathic antisocial traits, treatment should begin as early as possible. Therapy is based on persistent, structured education (strict control by parents and educators, regular exercise). In addition to psychotherapy, they also use psychotropic drugs. Nootropic drugs are widely used - piracetam, pantogam, phenibut, encephabol. Most patients experience a paradoxical improvement in behavior with the use of psychostimulants (sydnocarb, caffeine, phenamine derivatives, stimulating antidepressants - imipramine and sydnophen). When using phenamine derivatives, temporary growth retardation and loss of body weight are occasionally observed, and dependence may form.

Isolated delays in skill development

Children often experience isolated delay development of any skill: speech, reading, writing or counting, motor functions. Unlike oligophrenia, which is characterized by a uniform lag in the development of all mental functions, with the disorders listed above, usually, as one gets older, there is a significant improvement in the condition and a smoothing of the existing lag, although some disorders may remain in adults. Pedagogical methods are used for correction.

ICD-10 includes several rare syndromes, presumably of an organic nature, arising in childhood and accompanied by an isolated disorder of certain skills.

Landau-Kleffner syndrome manifests itself as a catastrophic impairment of pronunciation and speech understanding at the age of 3-7 years after a period of normal development. Most patients experience epileptiform seizures, and almost all have EEG abnormalities with mono- or bilateral temporal pathological epiactivity. Recovery is observed in 1/3 of cases.

Rett syndrome occurs only in girls. It is manifested by loss of manual skills and speech, combined with delayed head growth, enuresis, encopresis and attacks of shortness of breath, sometimes epileptic seizures. The disease occurs at the age of 7-24 months against a background of relatively favorable development. At a later age, ataxia, scoliosis and kyphoscoliosis occur. The disease leads to severe disability.

Disorders of certain physiological functions in children

Enuresis, encopresis, eating inedible (pica), stuttering can occur as independent disorders or (more often) are symptoms of childhood neuroses and organic lesions brain Often, several of these disorders or their combination with tics can be observed in the same child at different ages.

Stuttering It occurs quite often in children. It is indicated that transient stuttering occurs in 4%, and persistent stuttering occurs in 1% of children, more often in boys (in various studies the gender ratio is estimated from 2:1 to 10:1). Typically, stuttering occurs at the age of 4 - 5 years against the background of normal mental development. 17% of patients have a hereditary history of stuttering. There are neurotic variants of stuttering with a psychogenic onset (after fright, against the background of severe intra-family conflicts) and organically caused (dysontogenetic) variants. The prognosis for neurotic stuttering is much more favorable; after puberty, the disappearance of symptoms or smoothing is observed in 90% of patients. Neurotic stuttering is closely related to traumatic events and personal characteristics of patients (anxious and suspicious traits predominate). Characterized by increased symptoms in situations of great responsibility and difficult experience of one’s illness. Quite often, this type of stuttering is accompanied by other symptoms of neurosis (logoneurosis): sleep disturbances, tearfulness, irritability, fatigue, fear of public speaking (logophobia). Prolonged persistence of symptoms can lead to pathological development personality with an increase in asthenic and pseudoschizoid traits. The organically conditioned (dysontogenetic) variant of stuttering gradually develops regardless of traumatic situations; it is less pronounced psychological experiences regarding an existing speech defect. Other signs of organic pathology are often observed (disseminated neurological symptoms, changes in the EEG). Stuttering itself has a more stereotypical, monotonous character, reminiscent of tic-like hyperkinesis. Increased symptoms are associated more with additional exogenous hazards (injuries, infections, intoxications) than with psycho-emotional stress. Treatment of stuttering should be carried out in collaboration with a speech therapist. In the neurotic version, speech therapy sessions should be preceded by relaxation psychotherapy (“silent mode”, family psychotherapy, hypnosis, auto-training and other suggestions, group psychotherapy). In treatment organic options great importance is attached to the prescription of nootropics and muscle relaxants (mydocalm).

Enuresis at various stages of development is observed in 12% of boys and 7% of girls. The diagnosis of enuresis is made in children over 4 years of age; in adults, this disorder is rarely observed (up to 18 years of age, enuresis persists in only 1% of boys, and is not observed in girls). Some researchers note participation hereditary factors in the occurrence of this pathology. It is proposed to distinguish between primary (dysontogenetic) enuresis, which manifests itself in the fact that a normal urinary rhythm is not established from infancy, and secondary (neurotic) enuresis, which occurs in children against the background of psychological trauma after several years normal regulation urination. The latter variant of enuresis proceeds more favorably and by the end of puberty in most cases disappears. Neurotic (secondary) enuresis, as a rule, is accompanied by other symptoms of neurosis - fears, timidity. These patients often react acutely emotionally to the existing disorder; additional mental trauma provokes an increase in symptoms. Primary (dyzontogenetic) enuresis is often combined with mild neurological symptoms and signs of dysontogenesis (spina bifida, prognathia, epicanthus, etc.), and partial mental infantilism is often observed. There is a calmer attitude towards their defect, strict frequency, not related to the immediate psychological situation. Urination during nocturnal attacks of epilepsy should be distinguished from inorganic enuresis. For differential diagnosis, an EEG is examined. Some authors consider primary enuresis as a sign predisposing to the occurrence of epilepsy [Shprecher B.L., 1975]. To treat neurotic (secondary) enuresis, calming psychotherapy, hypnosis and auto-training are used. Patients with enuresis are advised to reduce fluid intake before bedtime, as well as eat foods that promote water retention in the body (salty and sweet foods).

Tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine, amitriptyline) help with enuresis in children good effect In most cases. Enuresis often goes away without special treatment.

Tiki

Tiki occur in 4.5% of boys and 2.6% of girls, usually at the age of 7 years and older, usually do not progress and in some patients disappear completely upon reaching maturity. Anxiety, fear, attention from others, and the use of psychostimulants intensify tics and can provoke them in an adult who has recovered from tics. A connection is often found between tics and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children. You should always carefully differentiate tics from others motor disorders(hyperkinesis), often a symptom of severe progressive nervous diseases (parkinsonism, Huntingon's chorea, Wilson's disease, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, chorea minor, etc.). Unlike hyperkinesis, tics can be suppressed by force of will. The children themselves treat them as a bad habit. Family psychotherapy, hypnosuggestion and autogenic training. It is recommended to involve the child in activities that are interesting to him motor activity(for example, playing sports). If psychotherapy is unsuccessful, mild antipsychotics are prescribed (Sonapax, Etaparazine, Halotteridol in small doses).

A serious illness manifested by chronic tics isGilles de la Tourette syndrome The disease begins in childhood (usually between 2 and 10 years); in boys 3-4 times more often than in girls. At first, tics appear in the form of blinking, head twitching, and grimacing. After a few years in adolescence, vocal and complex motor tics appear, often changing localization, sometimes having an aggressive or sexual component. Coprolalia (swear words) is observed in 1/3 of cases. Patients are characterized by a combination of impulsiveness and obsessions, and a decreased ability to concentrate. The disease is hereditary in nature. There is an accumulation among relatives of sick patients with chronic tics and obsessional neurosis. There is a high concordance in identical twins (50-90%), and about 10% in fraternal twins. Treatment is based on the use of antipsychotics (haloperidol, pimozide) and clonidine in minimal doses. The presence of excessive obsessions also requires the prescription of antidepressants (fluoxetine, clomipramine). Pharmacotherapy helps control the condition of patients, but does not cure the disease. Sometimes the effectiveness of drug treatment decreases over time.

Peculiarities of manifestation of major mental illnesses in children

Schizophrenia with onset in childhood differs from typical options diseases with a more malignant course, a significant predominance negative symptoms over productive disorders. Early onset of the disease is more common in boys (sex ratio is 3.5:1). It is very rare to see such typical manifestations schizophrenia, such as delusions and pseudohallucinations. Disorders predominate motor sphere and behavior: catatonic and hebephrenic symptoms, disinhibition of drives or, conversely, passivity and indifference. All symptoms are characterized by simplicity and stereotyping. The monotonous nature of the games, their stereotyping and schematism are noteworthy. Often children select special objects for games (wires, forks, shoes) and neglect toys. Sometimes there is a surprising one-sidedness of interests (see a clinical example illustrating body dysmorphomania syndrome in section 5.3).

Although typical signs of a schizophrenic defect (lack of initiative, autism, indifferent or hostile attitude towards parents) can be observed in almost all patients, they are often combined with a kind of mental retardation, reminiscent of mental retardation. E. Kraepelin (1913) identified as an independent formpfropfschizophrenia, combining features of oligophrenia and schizophrenia with a predominance of hebephrenic symptoms. Occasionally, forms of the disease are observed in which mental development preceding the manifestation of schizophrenia occurs, on the contrary, at an accelerated pace: children begin to read and count early, and are interested in books that do not correspond to their age. In particular, it was noticed that paranoid form Schizophrenia is often preceded by premature intellectual development.

At puberty common symptoms The debut of schizophrenia is dysmorphomanic syndrome and symptoms of depersonalization. The slow progression of symptoms and the absence of obvious hallucinations and delusions may resemble neurosis. However, unlike neuroses, such symptoms do not depend in any way on existing stressful situations and develop autochthonously. The symptoms typical of neuroses (fears, obsessions) are early joined by rituals and senestopathies.

Affective insanity does not occur in early childhood. Distinct affective attacks can be observed in children at least 12-14 years old. Quite rarely, children may complain of feeling sad. More often, depression manifests itself as somatovegetative disorders, sleep and appetite disorders, and constipation. Depression may be indicated by persistent lethargy, slowness, discomfort in the body, moodiness, tearfulness, refusal to play and communicate with peers, a feeling of worthlessness. Hypomanic states are more noticeable to others. They manifest themselves with unexpected activity, talkativeness, restlessness, disobedience, decreased attention, and inability to balance actions with their own strengths and capabilities. In adolescents, more often than in adult patients, a continuous course of the disease is observed with a constant change in affective phases.

Young children rarely show clear patterns neurosis. More often, short-term neurotic reactions are observed due to fear, an unpleasant prohibition from the parents for the child. The likelihood of such reactions is higher in children with symptoms of residual organic failure. It is not always possible to clearly identify variants of neuroses characteristic of adults (neurasthenia, hysteria, obsessive-phobic neurosis) in children. Noteworthy are the incompleteness and rudimentary nature of the symptoms and the predominance of somatovegetative and movement disorders (enuresis, stuttering, tics). G.E. Sukhareva (1955) emphasized that the pattern is that the younger the child, the more monotonous the symptoms of neurosis.

A fairly common manifestation of childhood neuroses is a variety of fears. IN early childhood this is the fear of animals, fairy-tale characters, movie heroes; in preschool and primary school age - fear of darkness, loneliness, separation from parents, death of parents, anxious anticipation of upcoming school studies; in adolescents - hypochondriacal and dysmorphophobic thoughts, sometimes fear of death. Phobias more often occur in children with an anxious and suspicious character and increased impressionability, suggestibility, and timidity. The emergence of fears is facilitated by hyperprotection on the part of parents, which consists of constant anxious fears for the child. Unlike obsessions in adults, children's phobias are not accompanied by a consciousness of alienation and pain. As a rule, there is no purposeful desire to get rid of fears. Intrusive thoughts, memories, obsessive counting are not typical for children. Abundant ideationary, non-emotionally charged obsessions, accompanied by rituals and isolation, require differential diagnosis with schizophrenia.

Unfolded paintings hysterical neurosis it is also not observed in children. More often you can see affective respiratory attacks with loud crying, at the height of which respiratory arrest and cyanosis develop. Psychogenic selective mutism is sometimes noted. The reason for such reactions may be a parental prohibition. Unlike hysteria in adults, children's hysterical psychogenic reactions occur in boys and girls with the same frequency.

The basic principles of treating mental disorders in childhood do not differ significantly from the methods used in adults. Leading in treatment endogenous diseases is psychopharmacotherapy. In the treatment of neuroses, psychotropic drugs are combined with psychotherapy.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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  • Zakharov A.I. Neuroses in children and adolescents: anamnesis, etiology and pathogenesis. - JL: Medicine, 1988.
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  • Kaplan G.I., Sadok B.J. Clinical psychiatry: Transl. from English - T. 2. - M.: Medicine, 1994. - 528 p.
  • Kovalev V.V. Childhood psychiatry: A guide for doctors. - M.: Medicine, 1979. - 607 p.
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Mental disorders in children or mental dysontogenesis are deviations from normal behavior, accompanied by a group of disorders that relate to pathological conditions. They arise due to genetic, sociopathic, physiological reasons, sometimes their formation is facilitated by injuries or diseases of the brain. Disorders that arise at an early age become the cause of mental disorders and require treatment by a psychiatrist.

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    Causes of disorders

    The formation of a child’s psyche is associated with the biological characteristics of the body, heredity and constitution, the rate of formation of the brain and parts of the central nervous system, and acquired skills. The root of the development of mental disorders in children should always be sought in biological, sociopathic or psychological factors, provoking the occurrence of violations, the process is often triggered by a set of agents. The main reasons include:

    • Genetic predisposition. Assumes initially abnormal functioning of the nervous system due to congenital features body. When close relatives have mental disorders, there is a possibility of passing them on to the child.
    • Deprivation (inability to satisfy needs) in early childhood. The connection between mother and baby begins from the first minutes of birth; it sometimes has a major influence on a person’s attachments and the depth of emotional feelings in the future. Any type of deprivation (tactile or emotional, psychological) partially or completely affects a person’s mental development and leads to mental dysontogenesis.
    • Limited mental abilities also refer to a kind of mental disorder and affect physiological development, sometimes causes other violations.
    • Brain injury occurs due to difficult childbirth or head contusions, encephalopathy is caused by infections during intrauterine development or after past diseases. In terms of prevalence, this reason takes the leading place along with the hereditary factor.
    • Bad habits of the mother, the toxicological effects of smoking, alcohol, drugs have Negative influence on the fetus during the period of gestation. If the father suffers from these ailments, the consequences of intemperance often affect the child’s health, affecting the central nervous system and brain, which negatively affects the psyche.

    Family conflicts or dysfunctional conditions in the home - significant factor, traumatic for the developing psyche, aggravating the condition.

    Mental disorders in childhood, especially under one year of age, are united by a common feature: the progressive dynamics of mental functions are combined with the development of dysontogenesis associated with a violation of the morphofunctional brain systems. The condition occurs due to cerebral disorders, congenital characteristics or social influences.

    Relationship between disorders and age

    In children, psychophysical development occurs gradually and is divided into stages:

    • early - up to three years;
    • preschool – up to the age of six;
    • junior school – up to 10 years;
    • school-puberty – up to 17 years.

    Critical periods are considered to be time periods during the transition to the next stage, which are characterized by rapid changes in all body functions, including an increase in mental reactivity. At this time, children are most susceptible to nervous disorders or worsening of existing mental pathologies. Age crises occur at 3-4 years, 5-7 years, 12-16 years. What features are characteristic of each stage:

    • Before one year of age, babies develop positive and negative sensations and form initial ideas about the world around them. In the first months of life, disorders are associated with the needs that the child must receive: food, sleep, comfort and absence of painful sensations. The crisis of 7-8 months is marked by awareness of the differentiation of feelings, recognition of loved ones and the formation of attachment, so the child requires the attention of the mother and family members. How better parents provide satisfaction of needs, the faster a positive behavior stereotype is formed. Dissatisfaction causes negative reaction, the more unfulfilled desires accumulate, the more severe the deprivation, which subsequently leads to aggression.
    • Children aged 2 years continue to actively mature brain cells, motivation for behavior appears, orientation toward evaluation by adults appears, and positive behavior is identified. With constant control and prohibitions, the inability to assert oneself leads to a passive attitude and the development of infantilism. With additional stress, behavior takes on a pathological character.
    • Stubbornness and nervous breakdowns, protests are observed at 4 years of age, mental disorders can manifest themselves in mood swings, tension, and internal discomfort. Restrictions cause frustration, the child’s mental balance is disturbed due to even minor negative influences.
    • At 5 years of age, disorders can manifest themselves when mental development is advanced, accompanied by dysynchrony, that is, a one-sided direction of interests appears. Also, attention should be paid if the child has lost skills acquired earlier, has become untidy, limits communication, has a decreased vocabulary, or does not play role-playing games.
    • In seven-year-olds, the cause of neuroses is schoolwork; with the start of the school year, disturbances manifest themselves in instability of mood, tearfulness, fatigue, and headaches. The reactions are based on psychosomatic asthenia (poor sleep and appetite, decreased performance, fears), fatigue. The failure factor is the discrepancy between mental abilities and the school curriculum.
    • In school and adolescence mental disorders manifest themselves in anxiety, increased anxiety, melancholy, mood swings. Negativism is combined with conflict, aggression, and internal contradictions. Children react painfully to others' assessment of their abilities and appearance. Sometimes there is increased self-confidence or, conversely, criticism, posturing, disdain to the opinion of teachers and parents.

    Mental disorders should be distinguished from anomalies of post-schizophrenic defect and dementia resulting from organic disease brain In this case, dysontogenesis acts as a symptom of pathology.

    Types of pathologies

    Children are diagnosed with mental disorders typical of adults, but children also have specific age-related ailments. Symptoms of dysontogenesis are varied, depending on age, stage of development and environment.

    The peculiarity of the manifestations is that in children it is not always easy to distinguish pathology from characteristics of character and development. There are several types of mental disorders in children.

    Mental retardation

    Pathology refers to acquired or congenital mental underdevelopment with a clear lack of intelligence, when the child’s social adaptation is difficult or completely impossible. In sick children the following decreases, sometimes significantly:

    • cognitive abilities and memory;
    • perception and attention;
    • speech skills;
    • control over instinctual needs.

    The vocabulary is poor, the pronunciation is unclear, the child is poorly developed emotionally and morally, and is unable to predict the consequences of his actions. It is mildly detected in children upon entering school; moderate and severe stages are diagnosed in the first years of life.

    The disease cannot be completely cured, but proper education and training will allow the child to learn communication and self-care skills, with mild stage diseases, people are able to adapt to society. IN severe cases A person will need care throughout their entire life.

    Impaired mental function

    A borderline state between oligophrenia and the norm, disorders are manifested by delays in the cognitive, motor or emotional, speech sphere. Mental retardation sometimes occurs due to slow development of brain structures. It happens that the condition passes without a trace or remains as an underdevelopment of one function, while it is compensated by other, sometimes accelerated, abilities.

    There are also residual syndromes - hyperactivity, decreased attention, loss of previously acquired skills. The type of pathology can become the basis for pathocharacterological manifestations of personality in adulthood.

    ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

    A common problem in children of preschool age and up to 12 years old, it is characterized by neuro-reflex excitability. It shows that the child:

    • active, unable to sit still or do one thing for a long time;
    • constantly distracted;
    • impulsive;
    • intemperate and talkative;
    • does not finish what he starts.

    Neuropathy does not lead to a decrease in intelligence, but if the condition is not corrected, it often becomes the cause of difficulties with studying and adaptation in the social sphere. In the future, the consequence of attention deficit disorder may be incontinence, the formation of narcotic or alcohol addiction, family problems.

    Autism

    A congenital mental disorder is accompanied not only by speech and motor disorders; autism is characterized by a violation of contact and social interaction with people. Stereotypical behavior makes it difficult to change the environment and living conditions; changes cause fear and panic. Children tend to perform monotonous movements and actions, repeating sounds and words.

    The disease is difficult to treat, but the efforts of doctors and parents can correct the situation and reduce the manifestations of psychopathological symptoms.

    Acceleration

    The pathology is characterized by accelerated development of the child physically or intellectually. Reasons include urbanization, improved nutrition, and interethnic marriages. Acceleration can manifest itself as harmonious development, when all systems develop evenly, but these cases are rare. With the progress of physical and mental development, somatovegetative abnormalities are noted at an early age, and endocrine problems are identified in older children.

    The mental sphere is also characterized by disorder, for example, during the formation of early speech skills, motor skills or social cognition lag behind, and physical maturity is combined with infantilism. With age, differences smooth out, so violations usually do not lead to consequences.

    Infantilism

    With infantilism, the emotional-volitional sphere lags behind in development. Symptoms are identified at the stage of school and adolescence, when the already grown child behaves like a preschooler: he prefers to play rather than gain knowledge. Does not accept school discipline and requirements, while the level of abstract logical thinking is not impaired. In an unfavorable social environment, simple infantilism tends to progress.

    The reasons for the formation of the disorder are often constant control and restriction, unjustified guardianship, projection of negative emotions onto the child and lack of restraint, which encourages him to close down and adapt.

    What to look for?

    Manifestations of mental disorders in childhood are varied, and sometimes it is difficult to confuse them with a lack of upbringing. Symptoms of these disorders can sometimes appear in healthy children, therefore, only a specialist can diagnose the pathology. You should consult a doctor if signs mental disorders manifest themselves clearly, expressed in the following behavior:

    • Increased cruelty. child in younger age does not yet understand that by dragging the cat by the tail, he hurts the animal. The student is aware of the level of discomfort of the animal; if he likes it, he should pay attention to his behavior.
    • The desire to lose weight. The desire to be beautiful arises in every girl in adolescence, when... normal weight The schoolgirl considers herself fat and refuses to eat, so there is a good reason to go to a psychiatrist.
    • If a child has a high degree of anxiety, panic attacks often occur, the situation cannot be left unattended.
    • Bad mood and blues are sometimes common to people, but the course of depression for more than 2 weeks in a teenager requires increased attention from parents.
    • Mood swings indicate mental instability and inability to adequately respond to stimuli. If a change in behavior occurs without a reason, this indicates problems that require solutions.

    When a child is active and sometimes inattentive, there is nothing to worry about. But if this makes it difficult for him to even play outdoor games with peers because he is distracted, the condition requires correction.

    Treatment methods

    Timely identification of behavioral disorders in children and the creation of a favorable psychological atmosphere makes it possible to correct mental disorders in most cases. Some situations require observation and reception medications throughout life. Sometimes it is possible to cope with the problem in a short time, sometimes it takes years to recover, with the support of the adults around the child. Therapy depends on the diagnosis, age, causes of formation and type of manifestations of disorders; in each specific case, the treatment method is selected individually, even when the symptoms vary slightly. Therefore, when visiting a psychotherapist or psychologist, it is important to explain to the doctor the essence of the problem, to provide a complete description of the characteristics of the child’s behavior, based on comparative characteristics before and after changes.

    The following are used in the treatment of children:

    • In simple cases, psychotherapeutic methods are sufficient, when the doctor, in conversations with the child and parents, helps to find the cause of the problem, ways to solve it, and teaches how to control behavior.
    • A set of psychotherapeutic measures and medication use indicate a more serious development of the pathology. At depressive states, aggressive behavior, mood swings are prescribed sedatives, antidepressants, neuroleptics. Nootropics and psychoneuroregulators are used to treat developmental delays.
    • In case of severe disorders, it is recommended hospital treatment where the child receives the course necessary therapy under the supervision of a doctor.

    During and after treatment, it is necessary to create a favorable environment in the family, eliminate stress and the negative impact of the environment that influences behavioral reactions.

    If parents have doubts about the adequacy of the child’s behavior, they should contact a psychiatrist, a specialist will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment. It is important to identify pathology early stage in order to correct behavior in a timely manner, prevent the progression of the disorder and eliminate the problem.

The concept of mental disorder in children can be quite difficult to explain, let alone define, especially on your own. Parents' knowledge is usually not enough for this. As a result, many children who could benefit from treatment do not receive the help they need. This article will help parents learn to determine warning signs mental illness in children and will highlight some options for help.

"A warning also worsens a child's success in school or teachers' harshness toward his behavior," the psychologist adds. There is still no protection for children with mental disorders in Czech education, there is little interest in children with mental disabilities with a condition other than autism, and tens of thousands of children are left without the necessary psychiatric care. These are just some of the problems that, according to child psychiatrist Jaroslav Matys is being persecuted by Czech pediatric psychiatry. The Health Diary spoke to him about autism, psychiatric reform and educational issues.

Why is it difficult for parents to determine the state of mind of their child?

Unfortunately, many adults are unaware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness in children. Even if parents know the basic principles of recognizing serious mental disorders, they often have difficulty recognizing mild signs of abnormal behavior in their children. And the child sometimes does not have enough vocabulary or intellectual baggage to explain his problems verbally.

There is a lot of talk about autism today. Who and how is allowed to record their diagnosis in order to be recognized by the insurance company? Clinical diagnoses are the responsibility of the physician and no one else. Considering the Preamble World Organization health care, for which the classification of diseases is intended, is only health. Performed by professionals who are trained and able to diagnose. Diabetes cannot be diagnosed by a biochemist in a laboratory. He must be a clinician who also belongs to psychiatry.

However, this is an exception, since we do not only use medical methods, i.e. instruments and laboratories, but also psychological methods. For us, the key clinical psychologists are children who must be trained and certified. Everything else is a consulting service. That's why there was a clash with education. Here a draft law was prepared on special pedagogical centers, where psychologists without psychological education in clinical psychology and not at all in medicine wanted to take upon themselves the right to determine and control the diagnosis of psychiatrists.

Concerns about stereotypes associated with mental illness, the cost of using some medications, and logistical complexity possible treatment, often delay the timing of therapy, or force parents to explain their child’s condition as some simple and temporary phenomenon. However, a psychopathological disorder that is beginning to develop cannot be restrained by anything other than proper, and most importantly, timely treatment.

Finally, based on pressure and gratitude from the deputies, he dropped out. Education is not here for treatment and diagnosis, but for training. Diagnostics are also provided, for example, by the National Autism Institute, which, according to its director, is a social institution.

This is not a medical facility, so it is not eligible to operate as a clinical workstation. They are not regulated by the law on the provision medical services and medical workers, therefore they are not subject to punishment within the meaning of these laws - there is no criminal liability for false diagnosis and unlawful actions. This, however, would mean that they would have to hire a child psychiatrist, make a work order as a medical facility, prove that they have the necessary staffing and equipment, and proceed to the region selection process.

The concept of mental disorder, its manifestation in children

Children can suffer from the same mental illnesses as adults, but they manifest them in different ways. For example, depressed children often show more signs irritability than adults, who tend to be more sad.

Children most often suffer from a number of diseases, including acute or chronic mental disorders:

However, a number of associations are authorized to provide a clinical diagnosis for a non-medical facility for which they pay, and then follow-up services for this type of "diagnosis". This is a conflict of interest and a violation of laws. Today they are also at the highest level to monitor whether they are allowed to make recommendations to schools as a specialized teaching center. They do not have registration or receipt, because education in the Kyrgyz Republic, including consulting services, is free.

So does the diagnosis of autism in the Czech Republic follow international standards? We follow international standards which we cannot leave behind. The standards have legal significance for courts and valuers. This is difficult, it is part of the certification, and the doctor must know this. There were suggestions from parent organizations that only a clinical psychologist could do this. Then let's say that the psychiatrist is moving towards the philosophy department, we are taking medications, and the clinical psychologist will be focusing on schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Children suffering from anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder stress disorder, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder, clearly show signs of anxiety, which is a constant problem that interferes with their daily activities.

There is pressure from parents, why this cannot happen - until something goes away and someone dies. When parents suspect that their child has autism, where to diagnose and what to look for? They should go straight to the doctor and not to a counsellor. Parents can also contact a child psychologist - who doesn't matter once because we collaborate and share news.

In differential diagnosis, we work with neurologists to rule out certain processes in the brain, with genetics and often with speech therapists. How does the pediatrician have an indispensable role in diagnosis? Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most difficult diagnoses in psychiatry. It's not that difficult to identify symptoms that fall under the umbrella of autism. The most difficult is differential diagnosis from other mental disorders that have similar symptoms but in a different final picture.

Sometimes anxiety is traditional part experiences of each child, often moving from one developmental stage to another. However, when stress takes an active role, it becomes difficult for the child. It is in such cases that symptomatic treatment is indicated.

  • Attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder.

This disorder typically includes three categories of symptoms: difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Some children with this condition have symptoms of all categories, while others may have only one sign.

There are at least 15-20 other mental disorders that can mimic it. In addition, the psychiatrist must distinguish between mental disorders such as brain, metabolism or endocrine disorder or intoxication. In addition, the psychiatrist must work with other specialists, such as cardiology, neurology or neurosurgery, to know that if something is happening in the brain, whether it is the result of surgery or a developmental issue. When medications are given, we must agree with other experts because we are responsible for the patient.

This pathology is a serious developmental disorder that manifests itself in early childhood - usually before the age of 3 years. Although symptoms and their severity are subject to change, the disorder always affects a child's ability to communicate and interact with others.

  • Eating disorders.

Eating disorders such as anorexia and binge eating are quite serious illnesses threatening the life of a child. Children can become so preoccupied with food and their weight that it prevents them from focusing on anything else.

Both child and adult psychiatrists must be able to differentiate between accompanying illnesses. The person who was not in medicine could not know this. If you learn the algorithm for one diagnosis but you don't know the others, you cannot differentiate between the diagnoses. When such a focus has only autism, social phobia turns into Asperger's. Some specific intelligence studies are completely absent, while two thirds of children are lagging behind. But they cannot differentiate between delays, autism, language development disorders, anxiety, which we can effectively treat today, or hyperactivity.

  • Mood disorders.

Affect disorders such as depression and can lead to the stabilization of persistent feelings of sadness or sudden changes moods much more serious than the usual variability common in many people.

  • Schizophrenia.

This chronic mental illness causes the child to lose touch with reality. Schizophrenia most often appears in late adolescence, from about 20 years of age.

Determining a diagnosis based on confirming the symptoms of one diagnosis is simply meaningless and dangerous for the patient. If you first asked the question about relevance for insurance companies, this is at first glance. It is important that in the legislation on diagnosis there are no doctors in addition to doctors. It is impossible for a medical diagnosis to be resolved without consultation by a consulting psychologist in a non-medical setting. These are organizations registered as social and educational services. But when people are stressed, they pay, although if a psychiatrist does the same thing, it is covered by public health insurance.

Depending on the child's condition, illnesses can be classified as temporary mental disorders or permanent ones.

Main signs of mental illness in children

Some markers that a child may have mental health problems are:

What awaits such a diagnosis? To ensure patient safety, a complete physical examination should be performed to rule out other causes. Autism is a neurological disorder, but there is a percentage caused by disorders other than just brain development. This is an associated morbidity that needs to be treated. There are myths, even found in government office material, that if autism is diagnosed on time, there is no need for medication. It is clear that autism medication helps correct the mental disorders that contribute to autism and sociability.

Mood changes. You should pay attention to the dominant signs of sadness or melancholy that last for at least, two weeks, or severe mood swings that cause problems in relationships at home or at school.

Too strong emotions. Acute emotions of overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes combined with tachycardia or rapid breathing, are a serious reason to pay attention to your child.

With medications, children are better educated and educated. How do we have multidisciplinary teams in the Czech Republic, where more expertise will be involved in diagnostics? We have no problems with medical care in neurology, pediatrics and other doctors. The problem is related to other professions that work with children. We study and help civil associations. If everything remained in special pedagogical centers, the money would be paid to autistic people. There we have to establish a boundary, and this is also stagnation, which is not easy.

As a result, at the age of 18 he cannot do this because he could not, but did not teach. But he will not achieve disability. So there have to be social services where they try to train, and when that doesn't really happen, there are other supportive things. Participation should be mandatory, we not only want it, we don’t want it. If you don't do this, you won't benefit. Only when we discover that this is indeed the case should they have a right to them.

Uncharacteristic behavior. This may include sudden changes in behavior or self-image, as well as dangerous or out of control actions. Frequent fights with the use of third-party objects, a strong desire to harm others are also warning signs.

Difficulty concentrating. The characteristic manifestation of such signs is very clearly visible at the time of preparing homework. It is also worth paying attention to teachers’ complaints and current school performance.

Is there any way in the Czech Republic that screening for autism spectrum disorders can be carried out by practitioners as part of preventive examinations? We work with children and teenagers. Early diagnosis is important, but this cannot be done until the fourth to fifth year, with severe autism a little earlier. Screening methods in the world are the methodology for the Czech Republic and the conditions of stay of doctors and adolescents in the Czech Republic for children and adolescents, who must be within two months.

These are screening methods that look for specific symptoms, but because autism is a developmental disorder, brain development in autism may not necessarily occur. The child should then be seen by a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, but the screening method is not necessary for a final diagnosis.

Unexplained weight loss. Sudden loss of appetite, frequent vomiting, or use of laxatives may indicate an eating disorder;

Physical symptoms. Compared to adults, children with mental health problems may often complain of headaches and stomach pains rather than sadness or anxiety.

Can autism be recognized through devices? This is still ten or twenty years away from standardized brain imaging in children with autism. Today we know where the problems are. But when you now do brain images of autism and schizophrenia, they are very similar in comparison, they are not specific. The brain is so complex that it cannot be made yet. Therefore, in autism and psychiatry, the clinical picture decides - how the patient works, what he looks like, what he does, how he thinks and how he behaves.

Any scale may indicate suspicion, but the clinical picture decides. So you can't rely on the scale? The scales are optional and parents sometimes confuse this because they think that when the scale comes out, it is given. Also, he is often an autistic parent - and do you think that a father with autism or Asperger's sees his son's social blindness? He doesn't write it, and the whole range is useless - it's a false negative. In other cases, parents of the disease learn today, even for financial reasons, or are motivated to apologize for aggression and even criminal behavior of their child, and then they say the learned phrases from a book or the Internet.

Physical damage. Sometimes mental health conditions lead to self-injury, also called self-harm. Children often choose far inhumane methods for these purposes - they often cut themselves or set themselves on fire. Such children also often develop thoughts of suicide and attempts to actually commit suicide.

Substance abuse. Some children use drugs or alcohol to try to cope with their feelings.

Actions of parents if a child is suspected of having mental disorders

If parents are truly concerned about their child's mental health, they should contact a professional as soon as possible.

The clinician should describe the present behavior in detail, focusing on the most striking discrepancies with more early period. For getting additional information before visiting a doctor, it is recommended to talk with school teachers, class teacher, close friends or other persons who spend some long time with the child. As a rule, this approach is very helpful in making up your mind and discovering something new, something that a child would never show at home. We must remember that there should be no secrets from the doctor. And yet - there is no panacea in the form of pills.

General actions of specialists

Mental health conditions in children are diagnosed and treated on the basis of signs and symptoms, taking into account the impact of psychological or psychiatric disorders on daily life child. This approach also allows us to determine the types of mental disorders of the child. There is no simple, unique or 100% guaranteed positive result tests. To make a diagnosis, the doctor may recommend the presence of related professionals, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse, mental health educators, or behavioral therapist.

The doctor or other professionals will work with the child, usually on an individual basis, to determine first whether the child is truly abnormal based on diagnostic criteria or not. For comparison, special databases of child psychological and mental symptoms are used, which are used by specialists all over the world.

In addition, the physician or other mental health case manager will seek other possible reasons, explaining the child’s behavior, such as a history of previous illnesses or injuries, including family ones.

It is worth noting that diagnosing childhood mental disorders can be quite difficult, since expressing their emotions and feelings correctly can be a serious challenge for children. Moreover, this quality always varies from child to child - there are no identical children in this regard. Despite these challenges, an accurate diagnosis is an integral part of proper, effective treatment.

General therapeutic approaches

Common treatment options for children who have mental health problems include:

  • Psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy, also known as “talk therapy” or behavior therapy, is a way to treat many mental health problems. Speaking with a psychologist, while showing emotions and feelings, the child allows you to look into the very depths of his experiences. During psychotherapy, children themselves learn a lot about their condition, mood, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Psychotherapy can help a child learn to respond to difficult situations against the backdrop of healthy overcoming problematic barriers.

  • Pharmacological therapy.
  • Combination of approaches.

In the process of searching for problems and their solutions, specialists themselves will offer the necessary and most effective option treatment. In some cases, psychotherapy sessions will be quite enough, in others, it will be impossible to do without medications.

It is worth noting that acute mental disorders are always easier to treat than chronic ones.

Parental help

At such moments, the child needs the support of his parents more than ever. Children with mental health diagnoses, just like their parents, typically experience feelings of helplessness, anger and frustration. Ask your child's doctor for advice on how to change the way you interact with your son or daughter and how to cope with difficult behavior.

Look for ways to relax and have fun with your child. Compliment his strengths and abilities. Explore new techniques that can help you understand how to calmly respond to stressful situations.

Family counseling or support groups can be a good help in treating childhood mental disorders. This approach is very important for parents and children. This will help you understand your child's illness, his feelings, and what you can do together to provide maximum help and support.

To help your child succeed in school, keep your child's teachers and school officials informed about your child's mental health. Unfortunately, in some cases, you may have to change your educational institution to a school whose curriculum is designed for children with mental problems.

If you are concerned about your child's mental health, seek professional advice. No one can make a decision for you. Don't avoid help because you are ashamed or afraid. With the right support, you can find out the truth about whether your child has disabilities and can explore treatment options, thereby ensuring your child continues to have a decent quality of life.

Mental disorders in children are very common, and their number is increasing every year. According to statistics, today every fifth child has developmental problems of varying degrees. The danger of such diseases is that parents often do not recognize the symptoms in time and do not give special significance condition of children, attributing everything to bad character or age. But it is important to know that mental disorders do not go away on their own with age. Most of them require complex specialized treatment. A serious approach and timely recognition of the problem is a chance to return the child to full mental health.

What are the features of mental disorders in children?

Mental disorders in children develop in most cases in the first months of a baby’s life, but can also appear at an older age. They represent inferiority and disruptions in the functioning of the psyche and, accordingly, affect the overall development of the child.

Mental disorders, depending on the age and stage of the disease, can manifest themselves in different forms. In total, doctors distinguish four general groups:

  • or mental retardation - it is characterized by a low level of intelligence, imagination, memory and attention;
  • Mental retardation - first makes itself felt at about a year old; it is characterized by problems with speech, motor skills, and memory;
  • – this syndrome causes hyperactivity, impulsiveness and inattention, while there is a decrease in the level of intelligence;
  • Autism is a condition in which a child's ability to communicate and socialize is impaired.

Sometimes parents attribute the baby’s negative manifestations to age and hope that it will go away over time. However, mental disorders need to be treated. With age, diseases only worsen and it is more difficult to choose the right and effective therapeutic methods. And no matter how difficult it may be for parents to admit that their child has mental disabilities, they need to seek help from a psychotherapist.

Factors provoking mental disorders

Mental disorders arise under the influence of several factors. Moreover, many of their forms develop during the prenatal period. There are several key reasons:

  • Genetic predisposition - hereditary transmission of mental disorders, occurs in 40% of cases;
  • Peculiarities of upbringing – wrong choice of upbringing methods or lack thereof;
  • Infectious diseases affecting the brain and central nervous system;
  • Ancestral and postpartum trauma baby's head;
  • Dysfunction of the metabolic system;
  • Severe or overvoltage;
  • Low level of intelligence;
  • Unfavorable family environment;

Symptoms and signs of mental disorders in children

The first signs of disease manifest themselves differently, depending on the age of the child. At home, parents may notice the following changes, which may symbolize a mental disorder:

  • A child’s bad mood is worth paying attention to if it dominates for several weeks without a specific reason;
  • Frequent mood changes;
  • Inattention and difficulty concentrating;
  • Nervousness, aggressiveness;
  • Constant and feeling of threat;
  • Changes in the child’s behavior – the child begins to do dangerous things and becomes uncontrollable;
  • A constant desire to draw attention to ourselves or, conversely, to hide from others;
  • Loss of appetite and, accordingly, significant weight loss;
  • Nausea and vomiting;
  • Headaches and causeless abdominal pain;
  • Conversation with yourself or an imaginary friend;
  • Actions that cause harm to oneself and others;
  • Decreased interest in favorite things and activities;
  • Use of alcohol and drugs.

You can notice these signs yourself. But doctors diagnose mental disorders based not only on these, but also on other medical symptoms:

  • Tachycardia and rapid breathing;
  • Changes in the organic structure of blood;
  • Changes in the structure of brain cells;
  • Digestive system disorders;
  • Low IQ;
  • Physical underdevelopment;
  • Special form.

Such diseases usually cause several symptoms, so observation alone is not enough to confirm the diagnosis, a medical examination is necessary.

Diagnosis and treatment

To choose the right therapeutic method, you need to undergo a complete diagnosis. It happens according to this scheme:

  • Study and analysis of obvious symptoms;
  • Laboratory testing of blood, urine;
  • MRI examination of the cerebral cortex;
  • Conducting testing.

In order to approach treatment correctly, it is necessary to examine the child by several specialists: a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist, a neurologist. Moreover, examinations must be carried out by each specialist in turn: each of the doctors can thus determine the symptoms that characterize his area.

It is important to remember that drug therapy cannot completely cure mental disorders. To help a child and restore full mental health, you need to use a set of procedures and methods.

There are several ways to combat this problem:

  • Drug therapy. It consists of taking antidepressants, tranquilizers, sedatives, as well as general tonic vitamins. The choice of drug lies with the doctor; he prescribes a special drug that corresponds to the age and form of development of the disorder.
  • Psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, there are many techniques to overcome mental disorders in children. It all depends on the age and stage of neglect of the process. Individual talking therapy or group therapy with appropriate selection of children is considered very effective. Psychotherapy is considered the most effective method treatment of such diseases.
  • Family therapy. The family is very important for the formation of a child’s psyche; this is where the first concepts are laid. Therefore, in case of mental disorders, family members must achieve maximum interaction with the baby, help him achieve something, constantly talk to him, and do exercises together.
  • Complex therapy. It involves combining drug treatment with another type of therapy. It is necessary for acute forms of disorders, when psychological training alone is not enough.

The sooner parents identify mental problems in their child and take him to a doctor, the greater the chance of returning him to a full-fledged lifestyle. The main rule is to seek help from a specialist in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

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