Child psychiatry
“When a child is forced to prove himself as capable, results is often disastrous. A child needs love, acceptance, and understanding. He is devastated when confronted with rejection, doubts, and never ending testing.”― Virgina M. Axline
What is Child Psychiatry?
It is a branch of psychiatry in which psychiatrists focuses upon the treatment, diagnosis and prevention of mental disorder in children and adolescence and their families. Child psychiatry is also named as pediatric psychiatry. They can treat the following disorders and mentally ill diseases in children which are:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Eating disorder
- Mood disorders
- Autisms spectrum disorder
- Misuse of substances
- Self-harm
- Post-traumatic stress disorders
- Genialized anxiety disorder
Signs and Symptoms of Mentally Ill Children
Following are the most observed signs and symptoms which lead to mental health illness in children:
- Harm themselves
- Long term stress
- Self-isolated
- Changes in mood and behaviour
- Try to suicide
- Weight loss
- Sleeping problems
- Frequent stomach and headache
- Withdraw from school
- Little and no interest in studies
- Changing in eating habits
- Extreme irritability
Roles of Child Psychiatry
Child psychiatry is a well-known branch of psychology and they perform these important roles which we have given below here:
- Diagnosis
Child psychiatrists can diagnose a mental health problem in children and also diagnosis what are the causes of these illnesses by the following methods and techniques:
- Physical examination
- Psychiatric evaluation
- Asking about the symptoms you have experience
- Medical interview
- Behavioural therapy
- Medical history
- Treatment
Child psychiatrists also help us to treat the mentally ill children after diagnosis the problems and recommend them the suitable treatment. They can treat them by following methods that are:
- Medication
- Behavioural therapy
- Cognitive therapy
- Antidepressants
- Prevention
Child psychiatrists prevent you the following things by the help of these you can save yourself from mental illness.
- Have a proper and healthy diet
- Do exercises daily
- Use of fresh fruits and vegetables
- Have fun with friends make social relationships
- Play indoors and outdoors games
- Have proper sleep
- Avoid unhealthy activities
- Spend time with your family to make your bond strong with your family
- Keep your interest in life and enjoy every part of it
- Being hopeful and optimistic
- Having strength to faced challenges of life
Risk Factors
Following are the most observed risk factors which lead to mental health illness in children:
- Having long term physical illness
- Family history of mental health disorders
- Some unpleasant life events like the death of love ones etc.
- Living in a poor family
- Some educational problems
- Financial problems
- Having adults’ responsibilities in early age
- Parents conflicts
- Physically or sexually abused
Child psychiatry is an important health profession that is helping children all around the world because early diagnosis and treatment of the mental health problems lead to better life quality.