This therapy approach uses thorough assessment to understand how a child learns or behaves. Often used for kids with autism spectrum disorder, it is a way for a mental health professional to understand why a behavior is happening and how it is affected by a child’s environment. Kids learn how to respond and communicate their feelings in various social settings.
Mental Health Treatment Program for Children in Minnesota
Children’s Mental Health
As a parent, you may get a gut feeling when something is off with your child, but how do you know if they need professional help? Understanding the signs of mental illness for kids 11 and younger can help you be proactive in promoting their health and connecting them to support.
Children are experiencing mental health challenges at increasingly young ages. Factors like social media use, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more access to technology can contribute to this trend. It’s essential for parents and caregivers to have the tools to identify early signs of mental illness. Starting care immediately can prevent a crisis and/or life-long effects.
Why Is Children’s Mental Health Important?
Childhood is a time of immense developmental growth. During this stage, kids reach emotional milestones that help them connect socially and build resilience when challenges arise. Mental health challenges can disrupt children’s development and affect their ability to function in school, at home, and with their peers.
In a 2020 study, researchers identified that 50% of all mental health disorders start by age 14. And in a study examining the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health–related emergency department visits increased by 24% for children between the ages of 5 and 11. This data is a glimpse into how common childhood mental illness can be.
Furthermore, untreated mental health conditions rarely go away on their own. Rather, they continue later into life. Without treatment, children can grow into struggling adolescents, extending the current teen mental health crisis.
As mental health challenges affect younger and younger children, being able to identify the signs of mental illness is vital. Getting help for your child early on increases their chances of achieving recovery from anxiety, depression, and other mental health conditions.
What Are the Common Childhood Mental Disorders?
According to CDC data, the four most common mental health disorders in children are ADHD (9.8%), anxiety (9.4%), behavior problems (8.9%), and depression (4.4%). Below are short descriptions of the most common childhood mental disorders.
ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often begins in childhood and continues into adulthood. Symptoms include distractibility, restlessness, and difficulties with emotion regulation. Learn about neurodevelopmental disorders and how to manage them in young people.
Anxiety Disorders
Feelings of overwhelming worry and self-judgment can be signs of generalized anxiety disorder. Children with anxiety between the ages of 6 and 12 may exhibit excessive fear, refuse to go to school, and complain of headaches or stomachaches. Learn more about anxiety symptoms and treatment.
Behavior Issues
Disruptive behavior disorders (DBD) are conditions that may look like childhood rebellion but are much more intense. Typical symptoms include aggressive behavior, lack of impulse control, and disruptive acts. Learn the various disorders that can fall under this umbrella and how children can gain self-control.
Depression
Also known as major depressive disorder, it can be characterized by a lowered mood or a loss of interest in daily activities. Kids with depression may have typical symptoms, such as social withdrawal and appetite changes. But it can also manifest in outbursts or breaking the rules. Learn more about depression.
Warning Signs of Mental Illness in Children
For parents with young children, being able to identify mental health symptoms is not always easy. Children often can’t always express themselves when they have health issues, and the signs may present differently, such as acting out or crying more often. Maintaining a close relationship and checking in with your child often are the keys to identifying worrisome behaviors.
Here are some early signs of mental illness that parents and caregivers may be able to observe in their children:
- Sleeping too much or not enough, constantly tired
- Anger, aggression, withdrawal, or other behavioral changes
- Changes in appetite, dramatic weight loss or gain
- Crying all the time
- Sudden drop in academic performance
- Behavioral addictions, such as gaming disorder or social media addiction
- Risky behavior, including substance use or an unhealthy coping mechanism for emotional distress
What to Do if Your Child Experiences Mental Health Symptoms
It can be painful for parents to witness the signs of a mental illness in a child. But there is hope and healing available. Below are some ways to help children with mental health issues get the support they need.
Build Your Child’s Knowledge of Mental Health
For younger children, the concept of mental health may be more complex to grasp than physical health concerns. Starting conversations about our emotions and how they impact our lives is important in building mental resilience.
Adding regular emotional check-ins into the family routine creates an environment where mental health can be openly talked about rather than repressed. Even if your child doesn’t have presenting concerns, maintain open communication. This way, they’ll be comfortable coming to you for support as they move into adolescence.
Make Time for Your Child and Validate Their Feelings
Sometimes, mental health symptoms can arise in the form of outbursts and aggression. But that doesn’t make your child a bad kid. It may be hard to understand why they are acting this way, but creating a safe, nonjudgmental space can give permission to your child to share their genuine emotions.
Take time out of your busy schedule to learn about their day and their hobbies or do a fun activity together. You will build a relationship with your child that encourages them to see you as an ally in their life, someone who genuinely cares about their journey.
Access Professional Help
If you become concerned that your child may be demonstrating mental illness symptoms, the next step is accessing professional support. A pediatrician’s office or therapist can conduct a full evaluation to help identify mental illness and recommend the next steps for treatment.
You can also request a complimentary care questionnaire at PrairieCare. We will call you to walk through the symptoms your child is experiencing and recommend care at one of our locations in Minnesota.
What to Do When Your Child is Having a Mental Health Crisis
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a mental health crisis is “any situation in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively in the community.”
Contrary to popular belief, children can have a mental health crisis. For a child, a mental health crisis means they are in danger of hurting themselves or others. According to the Children’s Hospital Association’s Pediatric Health Information System, between 2016 and 2022, children’s hospitals saw a 166% increase in emergency visits for suicide attempts and self-injury for young people ages 5–18.
Although suicide attempts and deaths are less common for kids under 10 years of age vs. teens, it’s essential to understand the signs of a crisis no matter the child’s age.
Signs a Child Is Having a Mental Health Crisis
Parents, caregivers, and even helping professionals can miss signs of a mental health crisis that can lead to a need for emergency care. Identifying symptoms early can mean the difference between getting treatment early on and making an emergency room visit after the issues have escalated.
Some of the most common symptoms of a pediatric mental health crisis include:
- Demonstrating high-risk behaviors that they know are dangerous, such as running away, jumping in front of a car, or substance use
- Significant changes in sleep and appetite
- Increased agitation and aggression, such as threatening to hurt people or damage property
- Engaging in self-injury or hurting others, such as cutting or burning
- Discussing death more often
- Expressing suicidal thoughts
- Isolating themselves from friends and family
Although some of these signs may not be due to mental illness, how often they occur and how long they last are important clues. If symptoms continue for more than a few weeks or get worse, parents need to get help from a mental health professional. Accessing support for mental health challenges sooner rather than later increases the probability of successful treatment, lessens mental health obstacles in the future, and provides long-term benefits.
When to Get Emergency Help
Your loved one may show signs that they need to get emergency care for their symptoms. Seek care immediately if your child exhibits any of the following symptoms:
- Talking about taking their own life, or making an attempt
- Threats or plans of hurting or harming others
- Hallucinating or delusions
- A drug or alcohol overdose
If you or someone you love is experiencing suicidal thoughts, go to the nearest ER or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.
Through PrairieCare’s Family First Admissions Process, parents and patients over 18 can call 952-826-8424 to start immediate care at our inpatient hospital for anyone 35 years and younger.
Mental Health Services for Children at PrairieCare
At PrairieCare, we are experienced in helping children who are 11 and younger work through complex mental health challenges and supporting parents or caregivers as they navigate the process. We pride ourselves in supporting families in their treatment plans, even after discharge.
PrairieCare programs provide various levels of support, including inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, and various outpatient programs, to meet every patient where they are in their healing journey. Our team shapes a unique plan for each patient, to determine the right level of care for the best outcomes.
- Clinic and Outpatient Services: Offering in-person and telehealth settings, our services include specialized psychotherapy, medication management, and evaluation. We provide individualized treatment approaches, including play therapy, occupational therapy, and art therapy, to help children work through difficult emotions.
- Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP): An outpatient program that takes place five days a week for a full day of programming, PHP is helpful for children six years of age and older who are struggling with mental health symptoms that are interfering with their daily living such as school, caring for themselves, and socializing with their peers or family.
- Inpatient Hospitalization Program: This level of care provides 24/7 safety and stabilization for young people following a mental health crisis through group, individual, and family therapy sessions. It is a hospital setting with a full-day program for children to stabilize the symptoms they are experiencing in a safe environment.
- Residential Treatment Program: With an average stay of three months, residential treatment offers children ages 10 and older with severe mental health issues the care they need. Informed by psychodynamic theory and guided by therapeutic skills, this program focuses on helping youth and families build sustainable, enriching, and meaningful lives.
Mental Health Treatment Options for Children
As with any other health diagnosis, it can be overwhelming to learn that your child has a mental health disorder. The good news is that there are specific pediatric treatment options to help. Learn the different types of therapy that a mental health professional may use to improve your child’s quality of life.
Applied Behavior Analysis
Art Therapy
Art therapy combines psychological understanding and creative expression, as a way for children to work through challenging emotions. Frequently, it is easier for kids to express themselves through art rather than verbalizing difficult emotions. Kids can visualize the feelings they are experiencing and build skills to overcome hard situations and emotions.
Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)
CBT is a common therapy for children that helps identify behavior patterns and how to change them. Specifically, CBT is a highly effective option to treat depression, anxiety, and trauma. This therapy approach gives children activities that help build healthier patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT helps kids learn to regulate their emotions when they’re struggling with depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or eating disorders. During therapy, therapists guide children to identify negative thinking to stop unwanted behavior. After DBT, children have the skills to cope with distress and shift unhealthy behaviors.
Family Therapy
This option involves the whole family, and can be extremely powerful in improving children’s symptoms and behavior. Not only does the professional learn about the child’s family dynamic, the family also gains skills for supporting their loved one. Family therapy is a group approach to improving communication and providing a safe environment for the child.
Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)
This approach helps a parent and a child connect with the help of a therapist. A professional guides the parent to engage in positive interactions with their child following unwanted behaviors. PCT is often used to help families who have experienced adoption, foster care, or the absence of a parent for some time. Through this modality, parents can build a bond with their child that feels safe and secure.
Play Therapy
With play therapy, a therapist uses toys and play to observe how a child interacts with the world. Play therapy is often used with children, since it’s harder for them to clearly communicate their feelings. Through play, children can show what they are experiencing. And a therapist can redirect the interaction to demonstrate healthy management skills and work through complex situations.
Psychodynamic Therapy
In this form of talk therapy, a professional uncovers issues that influence a child’s behavior. The child is encouraged to reflect on their past to learn how it impacts their current decision-making. Young people gain the skills to improve social interactions and relationships.
Children’s Mental Health Treatment in Minnesota
PrairieCare has various levels of care in the Twin Cities and Southern Minnesota to support children’s mental health. We pride ourselves in creating a comfortable and healing environment for young patients and their families.
With our full continuum of mental health services, children and their families don’t have to wait to get comprehensive treatment in Minnesota. Mental health services for children in the Twin Cities and Southern Minnesota:
- Brooklyn Park Inpatient Hospital
- Brooklyn Park Medical Office Building
- Edina
- Maple Grove
- Maplewood
- Mankato
- Rochester
Connect Your Child to Therapy Today
If you think your child is experiencing mental health challenges, the best thing you can do is be proactive in connecting them to care. PrairieCare offers a complimentary care questionnaire to anyone seeking mental health services.
A parent or caregiver can call 952-826-8475 to connect with our assessment team. Our experts will guide you and your child in the questionnaire process and recommend the appropriate level of care for their needs. The assessment team can assist you in scheduling appointments and taking the next steps to connect your family to mental health care that can help.
If you want to request a complimentary care questionnaire, you can also fill out a short form, and our team will contact you to get started. Visit our complimentary care questionnaire, and we will connect with you the next business day.
About PrairieCare
At PrairieCare, we believe that mental illness is real, common, and treatable. We provide individuals of all ages with the psychiatric care they truly need. PrairieCare is one of the nation’s largest providers of premier psychiatric services to the Twin Cities metro area, Rochester, and Mankato.
PrairieCare’s Minnesota programs and services span the full continuum of care, with the understanding that each patient has unique experiences, life stages, and needs. Our clinicians are accredited and highly experienced in supporting patients of all ages with a wide variety of diagnoses.
FAQs
What are the 3 most common mental health disorders in childhood?
According to CDC data, the three most common mental health disorders in children are ADHD (9.8%), anxiety (9.4%), and behavior problems (8.9%). The next highest is depression at 4.4%, but many mental health conditions among children occur together. For example, in the CDC report, 75% of children with depression also had anxiety, and almost 50% had behavior problems.
How do you deal with a mentally unstable child?
Parents and caregivers are crucial to children’s getting the help they need, continuing their treatment plan, and checking in with providers as needed as they complete programming. Here are some ways you can support your child who is having mental health challenges:
- Learn about their mental health diagnosis
- Consider family therapy to involve the whole family system in the treatment plan
- Ask the mental health team about the best methods of handling problematic behavior
- Work with your child’s school to ensure they have accommodations
- Be available to spend time with your child and create a safe space to share
What are 5 symptoms that a child may have a mental health disorder?
Maintaining a strong relationship with your child will make it easier for you to notice whether they start behaving and feeling different than usual. A dramatic change in your child’s actions can indicate a mental health disorder. Five symptoms that a child may have a mental health disorder include:
- Having out-of-control behavior that could include outbursts or moody behavior
- Changes in their performance in school. This could include having problems concentrating, having poor grades, or not going to school
- Sadness or hopelessness that occurs for more than two weeks
- Talking about hurting themselves, death, or suicide
- Changes in their regular habits, such as sleeping, eating, or avoiding social time
What are a few warning signs of psychological distress in a child?
It’s important to understand that children ages 6–11 and even infants are the most vulnerable age group when it comes to traumatic events or disasters. According to SAMHSA, warning signs of psychological distress in a child include:
- Unwilling to leave their home or not interacting with their friends/family
- Competing for attention from adults such as parents or teachers
- Having difficulty concentrating or keeping up in school
- Becoming aggressive and even experiencing conflict with those around them
When should I worry about my child’s mental health?
If you have noticed changes in your child’s behavior and they begin to struggle, get help now rather than later. Mental health conditions get progressively worse over time and have a negative long-term impact. Early intervention is the best method for reducing severe symptoms, so starting a care questionnaire and connecting with a mental health professional is vital. You can call PrairieCare at 952-826-8475 to start a complimentary care questionnaire.
What is a mental health crisis in a child?
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), a mental health crisis is “any situation in which a person’s behavior puts them at risk of hurting themselves or others and/or prevents them from being able to care for themselves or function effectively in the community.” A pediatric mental health crisis specifically refers to when a child is no longer safe and is in danger of hurting themselves or others.
Children may show the following signs when they are experiencing a mental health crisis:
- Engaging in high-risk behaviors that they know are dangerous
- Significant changes in sleep and appetite
- Increased agitation and aggression, such as threatening to hurt people or damage property
- Engaging in self-injury or hurting others
- Discussing death more often or dying in general
- Expressing suicidal thoughts