Not surprisingly, children can be affected by all the mental health conditions that adults are affected by. Thus, the only difference is that children display/express these conditions differently. For example, depressed adults show sadness while depressed children show irritability. Children are known to also experience a spectrum of mental health issues such as:
Schizophrenia. Schizophrenia generally affects children in late teens to early adulthood, and make them lose touch with reality.
Anxiety disorders. It is seen that also children have anxiety disorders these can be
1. obsessive-compulsive disorder,
2. post-traumatic stress disorder,
3. social phobia and
4. generalized anxiety disorder
Some worry and anxiety is normal for every human being including children, but then worry and stress makes it difficult for a child to function normally, it is then a matter of concern
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is frequent in children. Thus, there are three symptoms of ADHD:
1. Difficulty in paying attention
2. Hyperactivity
3. Impulsive behavior
A child can display any or all of the symptoms to be diagonised as suffering from ADHD.
Eating disorders. Popular media has made children far more aware of the body and image, this is resulting in young and teenage children suffering from eating disorders such as
1. anorexia nervosa,
2. bulimia nervosa and
3. binge-eating disorder
All three of these symptoms are serious and life threatening Ocassionally a child can become so concerned with weight and food that they focus on very little on other aspects of life.
Mood disorders. Mood disorders — such as depression and bipolar disorder — can cause a child to feel persistent feelings of sadness or extreme mood swings much more severe than the normal mood swings common in many people.
