Question:

I teach second grade and have a boy who was adopted from Russia in my classroom. His parents are very loving and provide him with a good home. At the parent teacher conference I told them I was concerned about some of his behaviors. They told me that he had an attachment disorder. What is this?

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Question:

When I started teaching fourth grade fifteen years ago, I had never heard of children having bipolar disorder. What exactly is this? And, what do I do about it?

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Question:

I am a middle school teacher and have a couple of students who may be depressed. Are there symptoms I should be looking for? How do I know what is serious and what are just normal teenage behaviors? What should I do?

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Question:

I've heard a lot recently about anxiety disorders and think that some of my students may need some help. Can you explain what an anxiety disorder is and what I might do to help these students?

Concerned teacher

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Welcome!

This month, mental health is being introduced as a specific topic area addressed through Ask-A-Specialist. I firmly believe that families and school staff are key players in promoting mental health for children and adolescents and I am very pleased to have this opportunity to respond to your concerns. Because you found your way to this site, there is a good chance that are you are already convinced of the importance of meeting children’s mental health needs. Here are a few facts to reinforce your commitment and arm you with data to convince others:

• Over 10% of school-age children have diagnosable mental health disorders (Surgeon General’s report, 2001), while many more struggle with symptoms that can interfere with their learning and social development. Among high-risk populations, such as special education students, the percentage is thought to be much higher.
• Eighty percent of children who have diagnosable mental health problems are not identified and do not receive treatment (Surgeon General’s report).
• Fifty percent of the adults who seek treatment for mental health problems at any point in their lives report that their symptoms began before the age of 14. Seventy-five percent report that their mental health problems began before age 24. Many people wait 10-20 years, or longer, from the time they first suffer from symptoms to the time they get help. (National Institute of Mental Health, 2005.)
• Delays in treatment often result in problems that are more severe, complicated, and difficult to treat. Individuals whose untreated problems begin during youth experience years of unnecessary suffering. They are likely to miss out on important growth experiences during these critical years, limiting their opportunities for learning, social and emotional development, and productivity.
• Sometimes it is too late for those with untreated mental health problems to get help; suicide is the third highest cause of death for 10-19 year olds in the United States.

There are effective, evidence-based methods for treating, and even helping to prevent, many of the mental health problems commonly seen in children and adolescents. We need to identify those children who are at risk and those who need help, and then find ways for them to get the support and help they need. We must also support families and schools in order to strengthen their capacities to deal with children in distress.

Please write. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sources of information on children’s mental health:

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/mentalhealthstats.cfm

http://www.hhs.gov/surgeongeneral/news/pressreleases/pressreleasechildren.htm

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