Large-scale research studies have reported that up to 3 percent of children and up to 8 percent of adolescents in the US suffer from depression, a serious mental disorder that adversely affects mood, energy, interest, sleep, appetite, and overall functioning. In contrast to normal experiences of sadness, or passing mood states, the symptoms of depression are extreme and persistent and can interfere significantly with the ability to function at home or at school. There is evidence that depression emerging early in life often recurs and continues into adulthood, and that early onset depression may predict more severe illness in adult life. Diagnosing and treating children and adolescents with depression is critical in preventing impairment in academic, social, emotional, and behavioral functioning and to allow children to live up to their full potential. Depression in children and adolescents is associated with an increased risk of suicidal behaviors. Since 1964, the suicide rate among adolescents and young adults has doubled. In 1996, the most recent year for which statistics are available, suicide was the 3rd leading cause of death in 15 to 24 years olds and the 4th leading cause among 10 to 14 year olds.
2.Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems that occur in children and adolescents. Generalized Anxiety Disorder: symptoms include exaggerated worry and tension everyday events.
3.Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Characterized by intrusive, unwanted, repetitive thoughts and rituals performed out of a feeling of urgent need, at least one-third of adult cases begins in childhood. Panic Disorder: characterized by feeling of extreme fear and dread that strike unexpectedly and repeatedly for no apparent reason, often accompanied by intense physical symptoms, such as chest pain, pounding heart, shortness of breath, dizziness, or abnormal distress.
4. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) A condition that can occur after exposure to a terrifying event, most often characterized by the repeated re-experience of the ordeal in the form of frightening, intrusive memories, and brings on hyper vigilance and deadening of normal emotions. Many soldiers experience this disorder after long periods of war as well as police officers, and fire fighters.
Social phobia, extreme fear of embarrassment or being scrutinized, specific phobias, excessive fear of an object or situation, such as dogs, heights, loud sounds, flying, costumed characters, enclosed spaces, etc.Other disorders: separation anxiety, excessive anxiety concerning separation from the home or from those to whom the person is most attached and selective mutism, persistent failure to speak in specific social situations.
6.ADHD
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorder of childhood, estimated to affect 3 to 5 percent of school-aged children. Research shows that ADHD tends to run in families. Its core symptoms include developmentally inappropriate levels of attention, concentration, activity, distractibility, and impulsivity. Children with ADHD usually have impaired functioning in peer relationship and multiple setting including home and school. ADHD has also been shown to have long-term adverse effects on academic performance, vocational success, and social-emotional development.
In the U.S., eating disorders are most common among adolescent and young women. In addition to causing various physical health problems, eating disorders are associated with illnesses such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. Among adolescent and young adult women in the U.S., it is estimated that between 0.5 and 1.0 percent suffer from anorexia nervosa, 1 to3 percent have bulimia nervosa, and 0.7 to 4 percent experience binge-eating disorder. Similar to other mental disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression, patients with eating disorders have little control over their symptoms, and suffer from often serious and sometimes life-threatening illnesses that require medical and psychiatric attention. Because to their complexity, eating disorders call for comprehensive treatment plan involving medical care after monitoring, psychotherapy, nutritional counseling, and medication management
8. Manic Depressive IllnessManic-depressive illness causes extreme shifts in mood, energy, and functioning. Overly energized, disruptive, and reckless periods alternate with periods of sadness, withdrawal, hopelessness, and other depressive symptoms of manic depressive illness can interfere with school performance, family relationships, peer interactions, and other everyday activities. Although manic-depressive illness typically emerges in late adolescence or early adulthood, there is increasing evidence that the disorder also can begin in childhood.
9. Autism and other Pervasive Development Disorders
Autism and other pervasive development disorders are brain disorders that occurs in as many as 2 in 1,000 Americans. They typically affect the ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the outside world. The signs of autism usually develop by 3 years of age. The symptoms and deficits associated with autism may vary among people with the disorder. While some individuals with autism function at a relatively high level, with speech and intelligence intact, others are developmentally delayed, mute, or have serious language difficulty. Research has made it possible to identitfy earlier those children who show signs of developing autism and thus initate early intervention. Both psychosocial and pharmacological interventions can improve the behavioral and cognitive functioning of children with autism.
10. Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, and disabling brain disorder that affects about 1 percent of the population during their lifetime. Symptoms include hallucations, delusions, disordered thinking, and social withdrawal. Schizophrenia appears to be extremely rare in children; more typically, the illness emerges in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, research studies are revealing that various cognitive and social impairments may be evident early in children who later develop schizophrenia. The movie "Beautiful Mind" is an excellent movive depicting this disorder.
Tourette’s Syndrome (TS) is characterized by repeated, involuntary movements and uncontrollable vocal sounds, known as tics. Affecting approximately 100,000 Americans in its full blown form, TS generally emerges during childhood or early adolescene. Although the basic cause of TS is unknown, current research suggests there is a genetic abnormality affecting certain neurotransmitters in the brain, and that varying environmental factors, possibly including infections, modifies the clinical expression of the disorder. Symptoms of TS are seen in association with some other neurological disorders, particularly OCD. Researchers are investigating the neurological similarities between OCD and TS to determine whether a genetic relationship exists. In most cases, Tourette Syndrome is not disabling, symptoms impair patients, development proceeds normally, and there is no need for treatment. However, some effective medication are available in the rare instances when symptoms interfere with functioning. Children with TS can generally function well at home and in the regular classroom. If they have an accompying learning disability or other disorder, such as ADHD or OCD, they may require tutoring, special classes, psychotherapy, or medication.
