Research shows that the average overall community prevalence rate for mental disorders in children and youth is 15%.
This means that in BC, approximately 140,000 children and youth experience mental disorders causing significant distress and impairing their functioning at home, at school, with peers, or in the community. These mental disorders include any anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, any depressive disorder, substance abuse, pervasive development disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, Tourette’s disorder, any eating disorder and bipolar disorder.
Working Together with Families
Families have a central and essential role when it comes to nurturing the best possible health outcomes of their children.
The BC Pediatric Society is here to support, partner, and advocate on behalf of the pediatricians of BC who are working to ensure the best possible care for your child, including optimal mental health.
The BCPS is here to promote a relationship between families and pediatricians where both work together to ensure the best possible health care services for every child in BC.
Pediatricians can be an excellent resource for children and families when attempting to navigate the array of mental health services available from community to community within BC.
This is why it is important for families to feel comfortable in voicing concerns about their child's mental health with their pediatrician.
Importance of Early Diagnosis and Treatment
If you are concerned about your child’s behviour, please do not hesitate to talk to your child’s pediatrician or family physician. Early diagnosis and treatment for a mental disorder is essential to ensuring better long-term health of your child.
Research shows that the average overall community prevalence rate for mental disorders in children and youth is 15%.
This means that in BC, approximately 140,000 children and youth experience mental disorders causing significant distress and impairing their functioning at home, at school, with peers, or in the community. These mental disorders include any anxiety disorder, conduct disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, any depressive disorder, substance abuse, pervasive development disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, schizophrenia, Tourette’s disorder, any eating disorder and bipolar disorder.
Tips on How to Notice Mental Health Changes in Your Child and How to Seek Help
- Children and youth do not often tell people that they are struggling and that they might have a mental health problem. Parents, teachers or friends will notice a change in behaviour, school performance, personal hygiene and social relationships.
- Address concerns early and seek help early.
- Communicate with the child/youth – talk and make opportunities to talk even if the child/youth does not want to talk, stay connected with your kids.
- It is helpful to do basic things like eating healthy meals at home, and together, without the television. Limiting screen time, having family time for fun and family meetings. Keeping television, games or computers out of the child/youth’s rooms, staying active and being active together as a family.
- Keep kids busy – music, sports, and attending special interest groups from an early age.
- Talk to the child/youth’s teachers, counselors, coaches, day care, and group leaders regularly (stay connected).
- If a concern regarding mental health in your child/youth arises, seek help as soon as possible (ie. school counselor, family doctor, request referral to paediatrician). Most communities have public counseling services.
- In BC there are Child and Youth Mental Health (CYMH) teams in various locations under the Ministry of Child & Family Development (MCFD). Each team has an intake person who can provide advice for those seeking service, so calling them can be helpful.
- There are Crisis response Teams throughout BC for crisis issues -- # available in phone book – 24 hr/day.
- In very extreme situations take your child/youth to the Emergency Room.
- For the younger child, the Child Development Centres (CDC) offer some behavioural services and can also be a good resource for advice about other services available in a community.
- There are private counselors. Call and discuss the issue with the private practitioner before deciding to go that route to make sure it fits the needs of your child/youth and your family.
- Many communities also offer group programs ie for children/youth (families) with similar problems. CDC and CYMH can advise about these too.
- Become knowledgeable about your child/youth’s diagnosis ie if the teacher thinks your child has ADHD, refer to CHADD or CADRA websites for information/resources and contacts.
- Communicate! This goes for doctors, parents, patients, teachers, everyone. Not just with the youth/child, but with each other.
Information for Kids
The Youth in BC website has resources for youth that include a phone line for help. Here’s what they say:
- You might find some comfort in knowing that other people also experience problems that seem overwhelming and they do find a way to reduce the emotional pain that they are feeling.
- Over time, most people manage to get through it. So can you.
- The first way to help yourself do this is to increase your coping strategies. Remember that there are always many different ways to deal with problems. You may not have considered all the alternatives. Finding yourself the best resources available to help you is the first step toward finding a solution for you.
- Before you decide to do anything, use the resources and links below, and talk or write to one of our listeners - they can help you find new strategies and solutions for coping with problems.
- You don’t have to cope with your feelings alone.
Information for Parents
The Kelty Resource Centre is a provincial resource centre working to link children, youth and their families with appropriate resources in all areas of mental health and addictions. In addition, they also serve the resource needs of adults with an eating disorder. If you’re looking for information or have a question on how to connect with mental health resources, this is a great place to start.
Posted on this website is the BC government’s recent report, Child and Youth Mental Health Plan for BC – Progress Report 2008.
The Child and Youth Mental Health website also has a great set of links if you need help.
Children’s Mental Health Ontario has a good summary of the 7 most common mental health disorders in children:
The U.S. National Institutes of Health and the U.S. National Library of Medicine offer lots of resources for parents wanting to educate themselves about mental illness.
Simon Fraser University produces the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.
Out of the Shadows at Last: Transforming Mental Health, Mental Illness and Addiction Services in Canada: The Honourable Michael J. Kirby, Chair.