Whether you're dealing with a toddler who throws tantrums or a teen who stays out all night, raising a troubled child can be extremely difficult. Parents, teachers and caregivers faced with defiant or depressive behavior may be at a loss for...
Depression may affect as many as one in eight teenagers, and one in every 33 children, according to KidsHealth, a website maintained by the Nemours Foundation's Center for Children's Health Media. Depression is a treatable illness. Parents and...
Child abuse can have many causes and many lasting outcomes. Because children who are abused can suffer socially and academically, and the effects of abuse last a lifetime, they often become abusive adults, it is important to recognize the causes...
It is rare for schizophrenia to appear in children, as this is a mental illness that tends to appear far more often in adolescence and adulthood. If you suspect your child may be suffering from the disease, however, it is essential to remain...
Adolescence is a period of storm and stress in which most adolescents experience emotional turmoil and mental health disturbances, according to MassGeneral Hospital for Children. Changes occurring rapidly in the young person's life can bring...
Asperger's syndrome is one of several psychiatric disorders categorized as pervasive developmental disorders of childhood. As with all of these disorders, the child with Asperger's has significant to profound functional impairment in the areas of...
If you have ever seen a baby or small child devoid of facial expression or normal socio-emotional responses, then you should understand why emotional development is vitally important during early childhood. Emotions combined with sociability...
According to the Wilder Research Center, a nonprofit organization that advocates for youth at risk, the term "troubled" youth encompasses a population of children and teens with a variety of behavioral, psychological, and social issues. No formula...
According to the American Association of Children's Residential Centers, or AACRC, residential facilities offer programs designed to serve adolescents with serious behavioral or emotional disorders. Residential centers assess an adolescent's...
As the parent of a 4-year-old, you are likely aware that your child's interests, opinions and mood can change from one hour to the next -- sometimes, it seems, from one minute to the next. However, if you notice a sudden, drastic and lasting...
Mental illness is pervasive throughout society and is the leading cause of disability in the United States. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that nearly 60 million U.S. adults ages 18 and older have a mental illness each year,...
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry notes that a parent's mental illness can present a variety of risks for a child. Schizophrenia, in particular, can contribute to highly unpredictable and confusing behavior in a household,...
The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that children as young as 6 can be diagnosed with bipolar disorder. It can be hard to determine if a child is suffering from bipolar disorder or another disorder such as attention...
A child's home and family environments are instrumental in shaping cognitive, social and even physical development. "By action and by example, parents shape the lives of their children from birth through adulthood," states the National Adolescent...
Sometimes parents tend to dismiss their child's short attention span or anxiety because they think he's "just being a kid." However, these characteristics may mean something more when they happen too often. Attention Deficit Disorder, or ADD, or...
Mentally challenged children can suffer from one or multiple impairments that interfere with cognitive function. These impairments can be biological or psychological in nature and can manifest as mental retardation, developmental delays, mental...
Manic depression, also called bipolar disorder, affects over 10 million people in the United States. Symptoms include severe mood swings that alternate between high mania and low depression. Psychotherapy and medication treats and manages bipolar...
Water intoxication can damage your lungs, brain, heart and other organs. The condition occurs when you drink too much water too quickly, placing stress on your kidneys. Your kidneys normally filter water and waste from your body. When you drink...
According to pediatrician Dr. William Sears, inconsistency is a common though not exclusive reason for the development of tantrums. Dr. Sears believes that if pleas or whining are rewarded by a distracted or tired parent with what is desired, a...
Children and teenagers who struggle with conduct disorder are usually the ones in school who have a label that they're bad. Teachers and administrators know who they are and expect them to mess up. Other parents may not want their children and...
Melatonin is a hormone produced by the pineal gland that regulates the body clock and affects when we wake and when we fall asleep. Because of its effects on the body's circadian rhythm, supplements containing melatonin are often used as a sleep...
Alcoholism is a condition characterized by physical and psychological dependence on alcohol. Like the disorder itself, the causes of alcoholism are complex and often involve interplay between two or more risk factors, such as family history of...
Childhood mental illness is the result of multiple contributing factors. Physical, social and environmental, and psychological causes are all factors influencing a child's mental well being. There could be two or more factors working together to...
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is generally diagnosed in school-aged children. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, ADHD is present in 3 to 5 percent of children, but it also affects teens and adults. ADHD is...
Ideally, children should have a healthy and happy childhood, but at times your child may experience painful mental problems. According to the Surgeon General, approximately one in five kids will exhibit symptoms of mental distress or trouble over...
Many children are victimized by physical, sexual or emotional abuse. The emotional types of abuse can be as devastating as the other forms. This psychological mistreatment can include verbal cruelty, coldness from the parent or caregiver, threats,...
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a condition typically diagnosed in childhood and pervasive throughout life. ADHD can impair functioning, but is not usually severe enough to require hospitalization or extreme safety measures....
The mental health community's recognition that children may have bipolar disorder is a recent development. Since the mid-1990's extensive research was completed confirming that children may suffer from this disorder. According to the National...
Autism generally presents in children before the age of three, heavily affecting their ability to communicate and interact with the world around them, according to Kid's Health. The symptoms of autism and autism spectrum disorders can share...