Bad mood and emotional outbursts … the 9 signs that may indicate a mental health problem in your child

MENTAL MENTAL DISORDERS do not only affect adults. Children and adolescents can also suffer.

In fact, according to the NHS, children as young as two are now at risk, and one in eight children has mental illness.

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The latest official statistics suggest that one in eight children aged 5 to 19 years old is living with a mental health problem, whereas about 113,000 toddlers in England have problems even before starting school. .

They are not always easy to spot either. With all children suffering from a mental illness with different symptoms.

Here are the 9 signs that your child might have a mental health disorder.

1. Bad mood that will not go away

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A child with mental health problems will begin to feel constantly down.

Emily Cherry, policy manager at Barnados UK, told The Sun Online that she was in danger of losing her friends and family and isolating herself.

"So, if you have events such as birthdays, they could start becoming really fearful and unwilling to engage," she said.

"They will always be low and unhappy – nothing can elevate their mood."

2. Watery or emotional explosions

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Another key sign to watch for is anger and emotional outbursts.

These will be much larger than the usual explosion that a child could have when challenging his parents.

"This kind of anger or explosion will prevent them from doing their normal daily chores," added Emily.

3. Lack of interest in the fun things that they liked before

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Another sign is that they may lose interest in the activities they enjoyed before.

For example, if your child has a hobby and that he has suddenly stopped doing so and does not want to replace it with another activity.

4. Feeling tired all the time

If your child seems unable to relax or if he / she is more lethargic than usual, this could indicate that something is wrong.

According to the NHS, being irritable or cranky all the time can also be a tell-tale sign.

5. Eat less or hyperphagia

Any sudden changes in your child's eating habits could signal a mental health problem.

Some might even have physical symptoms, such as headaches and stomach upset, the NHS said.

6. difficulty sleeping

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Another very important sign to look for is if your child has sleep problems.

"Children who are constantly weak, who suffer from depression or anxiety, will find it really hard to sleep," Cherry said.

It may also be that they do not want to get out of bed or sleep longer than usual.

7. lack of concentration

If your child's school teachers have noticed that they have trouble concentrating in class, this could also be a red flag.

Not being able to decide, or seem to be uncomfortable with certain results are signs that should not be taken lightly either.

8. Low self-esteem

If your child talks about feeling guilty or worthless, this could be a sign that he has lost confidence in himself, which could be related to a mental illness.

The NHS describes this as a feeling "empty or unable to feel emotions" or "numb".

9. Have suicidal thoughts

Perhaps more of a direct clue, but if things are really bad, you may notice that your child is starting to self-destruct or cut his skin.

"If a child comes to a crisis point, where he feels so low and angry, he can self-destruct and even have suicidal thoughts," Cherry said.

You may not immediately see the evidence of such action, but you may notice that your child is hiding more or trying to hide his skin, which could be a sign of self harm. .

How to spot signs of mental health problems in your child

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Although some key warning signs need to be monitored, they can vary from one child to the other.

However, Cherry said parents know their children and should be able to spot them easily.

"Parents are the experts of their own children," she said.

"It is often very normal for children to feel depressed or anxious and this can be very worrying for parents.

"But there is often a real tilt for parents when that anxiety, that feeling of sadness and sadness starts to take over your child's life and that's when you need to look for it. ;help."

Every 90 minutes, a person kills himself in the United Kingdom – suicide being the leading cause of death among people under 35 years of age.

These two statistics are really alarming. That's why The Sun launched the "You're not Alone" campaign, with the goal of getting more mental health talk from more people.

Some studies show that nearly one in four young people will suffer from depression before the age of 19.

Alana Ryan, Policy Officer at the NSPCC, said, "When a generation of children struggles with their mental health and many have mutilated themselves or attempted suicide, we fundamentally fail our young people. .

"Our own research shows that even if children are referred for specialized mental health treatment, they are unlikely to receive it, which is totally unacceptable."

It is important to ask for help quickly if you think your child may be suffering from a mental disorder or is depressed.

The longer it lasts, the more likely it will be to disrupt your child's life and become a long-term problem.

O GETTING AID

If you or someone you know needs help dealing with mental health issues, the following organizations will support you:

• CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
• Head together, www.headstogether.org.uk
• Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
• Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
• Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
• YoungMinds, www.youngminds.org.uk, 0808 802 5544

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