Mental health problems such as depression, anxiety and conduct disorder do affect children too. These mental are often a direct response to what is happening in their lives. The emotional wellbeing of children is just as important as their physical health. Good mental health allows children and young people to develop the resilience to cope with whatever life throws at them and grow into well-rounded, healthy adults.

Things that can help keep children and young people mentally well include are eating a balance diet and taking care of their physical well-being by playing indoors and outdoors, taking part in activities at home and school as well, feeling loved and trusted by their family and friends, being optimistic about life, knowing about their abilities and capabilities, having a sense of belonging in their family etc.

Changes often act as triggers. Changes like moving to a new home or new school or the birth of a new brother or sister, etc. Some children who start school feel excited about making new friends and doing new activities, but there may also be some who feel anxious about entering a new environment.

There are certain risk factors that make some children more likely to experience problems than other children like having long-term illness, unloving parents, losing someone who was close to them, separation of parents, physically or sexually abused, experiencing discrimination of any sort etc.

If the is child is having a warm, open & friendly relationship with their parents, children will usually feel free to be able to tell them if they are troubled. The children will share their problem with their parents as to when they start to arise.

It is always best to take care of a situation or a problem at the earliest level possible. Once the problem becomes big, you need more efforts to curb it.

One of the most important ways through which parents can help their child is to listen to them carefully and take their feelings seriously & empathetically. The child might need a hug from their parent.

The child may want the help of his parent to help him to change something in his life emotionally or they may want practical help about a situation which the child is not able to handle himself.

If the child is having problems at school, with his teacher or with the school nurse, the parents can take help from the school counsellor or an educational psychologist may be able to help. It’s better to take professional help for your child if there is anything which is not looking in control. Such professionals are able to help the child with a more scientific approach or they may refer a child to further help.

Assessments and treatments for children with mental health problems put a lot of emphasis on talking and on understanding the problem in order to work out the best way to tackle it. Often the solution involves the rest of the family. Therefore, the parents can act as the first psychologist to their child.

This post is written by Abhi (Loaursuno)  blogchatterA2Z campaign. You can check the previous post here