Therapy for
Children and Teenagers

Psychotherapy for Children and Teens

Preserving the Mental Health of our Children and Teenagers is a public health concern around the globe, and it affects people of all ages. We need to take special care when dealing with the mental health of children and teenagers because those are their formative years where their brain is developing and they are transitioning into adulthood. To get a better idea of just how prevalent mental health concerns are in adolescents around the world, let’s look at some startling statistics. 

 

Prevalence of Mental Health Issues affecting children and adolescents in the U.S.:

• About 1.9 million American children aged 3-17 have received a Depression diagnosis.

• About 4.4 million children aged 3-17 years old have received an anxiety diagnosis

• About 6.1 million children aged 3-17 have received an ADHD diagnosis

• About 4.5 million aged 3-17 children have received a behavioral problem diagnosis. 

• Between 40% to 70% of children in North America deal with mental health repercussions that come with the process of their parents separating or divorcing. 

 

Let’s not forget about all of the other children who suffer from mental health conditions but go without a diagnosis.

Mental health in children and teenagers is nothing to take lightly. We have outlined some of the most serious mental health conditions that adolescents face in today’s world. 

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Common Diagnosis found with Children

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ​

ADHD is a very common neurodevelopmental disorder that originates in childhood and often lasts into your adult years. Kids who have ADHD might exhibit signs that include impulsive behaviors, difficulty paying attention and being overly active. ADHD can show up in children's and teenagers’ lives in various aspects including their peer relationships, academic life, and emotional functioning.

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Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD):

OCD is a mental health disorder in which the individual repeatedly has negative, disturbing, or unproductive thoughts (referred to as obsessions). In order to alleviate the anxiety from these obsessions, they engage in behaviors (compulsions) that they believe will help their negative thoughts. However, their thoughts are often irrational and their behaviors are often very unproductive. Unlike other people, their brain is stuck in a loop and they are not able to find relief from their behavior after they “make sure” to do it. Compulsions can be purely mental. A child might continue to repeat a prayer in their head over and over again because they worry they did not say it correctly. Oftentimes, individuals with OCD have recognized their behaviors are irrational and excessive. They even realize others think they are being irrational because they are repeating a certain phrase or “prayer” to themselves until it sounds “just right”. Neither of these realizations are enough to make the person stop their patterns. OCD’s brain chemistry is so powerful that it beats their rational realizations. That is why treatment for OCD is specialized and often takes a great deal of effort from the individual going through it. 

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Depression:

Major Depression in children and teens is a mood disorder characterized by chronic feelings of sadness, low energy, loss of interest in activities the child once enjoyed, sleeping too much or not enough, weight gain/loss, or isolation. Mental health experts used to believe that only adults get depression. However, advances in research have shown that children and teens also suffer from depression. Children and teenagers battle depression for many of the same reasons that adults do including environmental, social, and, and genetic factors.

 

Managing through Parental Separation or Divorce

Along with dealing with some of the common mental health conditions that adults and children both suffer from, there are certain mental and emotional health concerns unique to only children or teenagers such as dealing with divorce or separation of parents. Significant factors that influence just how much of a mental impact the separation/divorce will have on the child include parental stability, the child’s resiliency, temperament, social supports, and the child’s age. During a divorce, the two primary caretakers of the child’s life can become preoccupied with their personal anguish and mental health. This can get in their way to provide properly nurture and parent their child for a temporary period. Divorce can also lead to financial burdens for the family only adding to the stress of both the parent and the child. It is crucial to diagnose and treat these mental health conditions so they don’t cause even bigger problems during adulthood.