Parents can detect mental disorders in teens from the start. Mental disorders are not trivial, and parents must be sensitive to the signs. To better understand, here are the signs of mental disorders in teens that you need to know.
Signs of mental illness in adolescent
According to the American Psychiatric Association, as many as 50% of cases of depression and mental disorders occur since the child is 14 years old.
Therefore, parents can detect the characteristics of mental disorders in teens so that they can be treated quickly and do not interfere with development.
Here are some characteristics of mental illness in adolescents that parents need to be aware of.
Changes in sleeping and eating schedules
If you see your teen starting to lose appetite or have trouble sleeping, this could be an early sign of a mental disorder.
Indeed, not all cases will lead to mental problems. However, if this happens for a long time, you should be wary of it.
Mood up and down
One of the characteristics of mental disorders in adolescents is the mood of the child changes quickly and suddenly.
Take a look at your teenager. Has he been irritable and more sensitive lately?
You can also see how quickly his emotions change, from happy to sad to angry.
self-isolate
If your teen used to play social media or hang out with friends and suddenly drifted away, parents need to be vigilant.
Notice if he begins to isolate himself and no longer plays with his friends. The characteristics of this mental disorder will not be seen immediately.
Therefore, it is vital for you always to pay attention and know your teenager’s social environment. If anything changes, you’ll know right away.
Your teen becomes apathetic.
If suddenly the child becomes indifferent and does not care about the things around him, you should be suspicious.
Apathy is one of the characteristics of mental disorders in adolescents that is often and easily visible.
This change in attitude will undoubtedly surprise you and even get angry because your teenager is starting to be ignorant of his environment.
However, it’s best to identify and talk carefully about what happened to him until this change occurs.
Apathy is also one of the most common characteristics of mental disorders that occur in children and adolescents.
Academic grades decline
Avoid immediately angry if suddenly your teen’s academic grades decline. As a parent, you must first find out what causes this.
The reason for this condition could be due to the child feeling depressed and experiencing mental disorders.
Adolescents who have mental disorders will find it difficult to concentrate, so it is challenging to catch lessons at school.
Not to mention unstable emotions, making him unmotivated to carry out his daily activities, including studying at school.
The proper steps to overcome mental disorders in teens
Like physical illness, mental disorders in adolescents must receive proper treatment and handling.
In general, there are several things parents can do if they detect the characteristics of mental disorders in teens, such as:
- learn about the disease,
- do counselling for other family members,
- Consult with a mental health professional (psychologist or psychiatrist),
- learn stress management techniques to help you stay calm,
- taking time to relax with the child,
- Collaborate with the school.
Never underestimate the mental problems that occur in children and adolescents because they can affect their emotional development.
Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, several types with characteristics of different mental disorders in adolescents and parents need to understand are:
- depression,
- anxiety disorders,
- bipolar disorder,
- obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD),
- attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD),
- eating disorders,
- autism,
- schizophrenia.
If parents have found the problem early on, the treatment that the child needs will not be as complicated or as much as the case that is already severe.
The most important thing is your support as a parent to your teenager.
Your teenager may feel alienated from his world. At that time, parental support continued to make him comfortable and calm, which he needed.
Always look for ways to make your teen’s psychological therapy enjoyable.
Parents also need to inform the school about the characteristics and conditions of mental disorders in adolescents.
That is very important so that the school can accompany the child continuously during the treatment period.
