Mental Disorders in Children: Recognize the Signs and Types

By: Monica Sulistiawati, S.Psi, M.Psi,Psikolog

For parents, their child's health is everything. It's not just physical health, but also mental health. However, mental health issues are often overlooked because they can be difficult to detect, unlike physical health issues, which are readily apparent. To help you better understand, here are some common mental health issues affecting children and their symptoms.

1. Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are feelings of fear, anxiety, and worry that are excessive and difficult to control. There are several types of anxiety disorders, each with different symptoms, including:

General Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Children with GAD tend to experience excessive anxiety about even ordinary things. For example, they may feel anxious about their appearance, anxious about their grades not meeting expectations, and various other things. GAD can cause a child to develop a perfectionist personality.

Panic Disorder

Panic disorder is a condition where a child experiences extreme panic when facing certain situations, such as performing in public.

Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD)
SAD is a condition where a child experiences excessive anxiety when having to separate from someone, whether from a parent, sibling, or anyone else.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Social anxiety disorder is a condition where a child experiences excessive anxiety when having to interact socially with others, other than those closest to them. This condition can cause children to have difficulty making friends when they enter school.

Selective Mutism

Selective mutism is a condition where a child suddenly becomes quiet, exhibits little activity, only lowers their head, and withdraws from others when faced with certain situations that make them uncomfortable. Children usually don't exhibit these symptoms when they are in a comfortable environment, such as at home.

Phobia

A phobia is the emergence of excessive anxiety and fear when near or interacting with triggers, such as a fear of heights, a fear of certain animals, a fear of certain foods, and so on.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD is a condition where a child has an excessive obsession with something that causes anxiety and discomfort if it is not met. For example, a child with OCD about neatness will feel uncomfortable or even excessively upset when seeing toys in disarray.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a condition where a child experiences excessive fear or anxiety when faced with a traumatic situation. This usually occurs in children who have experienced something frightening, such as a child who has witnessed or been involved in an accident.

2. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

An active child is a sign of health. However, children with ADHD are overactive and tend to be more difficult to control. Furthermore, they have difficulty focusing and paying attention, and often act impulsively.

3. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

ASD is a mental health condition resulting from neurodevelopmental disorders affecting social functioning, communication, and behavior. This results in children experiencing difficulties with communication and social interaction, limited interests, and repetitive movements. Symptoms typically appear by the time a child is 12 months old.

4. Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Disruptive behavior disorders are conditions in which children have a tendency to break rules and exhibit uncooperative behavior patterns. If this condition is not addressed promptly and appropriately, the child can grow up to be indifferent to their surroundings and potentially provoke hostility among those around them.

5. Eating Disorder

An eating disorder is a condition where a child experiences problems related to eating, either eating too little or too much. Eating disorders that cause children to eat too little are usually caused by an excessive fear of gaining weight, such as anorexia.

However, children can also experience bulimia nervosa, where they eat normal portions but immediately vomit them back up. Meanwhile, some children overeat even though they are not hungry, potentially leading to obesity.
These various mental disorders in children can be caused by various things, including:

• Genetic factors
• Environmental pressure
• Previous events

Understanding the causes of a child's mental health disorder can help you find the right solutions. However, to understand the cause and how to address it, it's recommended that you consult a professional medical team. You can visit a child psychologist at Premier Bintaro Hospital if your child begins to exhibit any of the signs mentioned above.
 

Contact us

For information and make an appointment