Children also have mental disorders just like adults, only their symptoms are different. Knowing that they exist and their symptoms is necessary to seek medical help and that appropriate treatment can be offered. Let's see what are the most common nervous disorders in children.
Near a 20% of children and adolescents have mental problems. Especially in children, as they do not have the necessary resources to express themselves or to manage their emotions, it is more difficult to detect. It is difficult to distinguish strange behavior from a normal one from a child. I will comment on nervous disorders in children.
Generalized anxiety disorders (GAD)
It affects about 2-6% of children, and more commonly in girls than in boys. Its causes are not clear, although there is a large genetic load. It consists of a persistent and excessive state of anxiety, fear and worry, which affects your daily life. They tend to increase with stress levels.
It manifests itself in children with a difficulty paying attention, being able to seem restless or hyperactivated. They may feel physical pain, feel too tired, sleep poorly, trouble concentrating, irritability, ... sometimes it is often confused with attention deficit / hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although sometimes they often come together.
Treatment is usually aimed at teaching Relaxation children, and in some cases anxiolytics are required.
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
It is a neurobiological disorder originating in the most frequent childhood (before 12 years of age). Have a pattern of attention deficit, hyperactivity and / or impulsivity. Sometimes it is associated with other disorders such as GAD. This pattern of behavior interferes with their normal life in at least 2 areas (school, family and / or social).
The most common of this disorder is that it is diagnosed from the age of 6, which is when school life begins. Symptoms vary from child to child, and with different intensities ranging from mild to severe. Only one of the 3 symptoms may occur: predominantly inattentive, predominantly hyperactive / impulsive, and a combination of both. The symptoms of these nerve disorders in children sometimes tend to decrease as the child grows.
The causes can be multiple, both can be due to genetic and environmental factors. It has a heritability of 76%, and the rest would be due to non-genetic factors. Typical treatment includes medication and psychotherapy.
Behavioral disorders
About 3,5% of children and adolescents suffer from a conduct disorder, but especially seen in adolescence. It assumes a lack of impulse control, behavior and emotions, violating social and moral rules, norms or authority figures. They can have aggressive or threatening behaviors, deception and theft and serious transgression of the rules.
It would fall within the category of disruptive disorders, which usually occurs after oppositional defiant disorder. To diagnose it, it is necessary to have 3 presentations in the last 6 months, and it must mean a deterioration in the life of the child / adolescent.
Depressive disorders
Believe it or not, children also suffer from depression like adults, but their symptoms are different. About 2% of the child population suffers from depression. Among the depressive disorders in children we find: disruptive dysregulation of mood disorders, major depressive disorder, and persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia).
In adults, the predominant symptom is usually sadness, but in children it is usually irritability, which usually manifests as hyperactivity and aggressive behavior. If you want to know more about the subject, don't miss the article "Consequences of childhood depression".
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
Prevalence is approximately 1% of the child and adolescent population. It consists of a persistent impairment of social communication, what affects social interaction and with very specific and repetitive patterns and / or interests. These symptoms usually appear after 6 months.
There are 3 degrees of severity: in the first, you would need help, in the second, more noticeable help, and in the third, almost constant help.
Because remember… knowing will help us to know how to detect if there is a possible problem to be treated in order to guarantee a better quality of life.