|
When to Get Help for Your Child
Parents are usually the first to
recognize that their child has a problem with emotions or behavior.
Following are a few signs which may
indicate that a child and adolescent psychiatric evaluation will be
useful.
YOUNGER CHILDREN
-
Noticeable drop in school performance.
-
Poor grades in school despite
trying very hard.
-
Expresses a lot of worry or
anxiety.
-
Regular refusal to go to school,
go to sleep or take part in activities that are normal for the child's
age.
-
Hyperactivity; fidgeting; constant
movement beyond regular playing.
-
Persistent nightmares.
-
Persistent disobedience or
aggression (longer than 6 months)
-
Deliberate and provocative opposition to
authority figures.
-
Frequent, unexplainable temper
tantrums.
PRE-ADOLESCENTS AND ADOLESCENTS
-
Marked change in school
performance.
-
Inability to cope with problems
and daily activities.
-
Marked changes in sleeping and/or
eating habits.
-
Many physical complaints.
-
Sexual acting out.
-
Depression shown by sustained,
prolonged negative mood and attitude, often accompanied by poor
appetite, difficulty sleeping or thoughts of death.
-
Abuse of alcohol and/or drugs.
-
Intense fear of becoming obese
with no relationship to actual body weight, purging food or
restricting eating.
-
Persistent nightmares.
-
Threats of self-harm or harm to
others.
-
Self-injury or self destructive
behavior.
-
Frequent outbursts of anger,
aggression.
-
Threats to run away.
-
Aggressive or non-aggressive
consistent violation of rights of others; opposition to authority,
truancy, thefts, or vandalism.
-
Strange thoughts and feelings; and
unusual behaviors.
If
problems persist over an extended period of time and especially if others
involved in the child's life are concerned, consultation with a child and
adolescent psychiatrist or other clinician specifically trained to work
with children may be helpful.
Information
provided by:
American Academy of Child/Adolescent Psychiatry
http://www.aacap.org
[ Up ] |
