What Should I Do if My Child is Experiencing Mental Health Symptoms
If you think your child might have mental health concerns, it’s important to get them checked by a doctor or mental health expert (like a therapist or psychiatrist). Your support and understanding are important for your child, and getting help is a big step to help them with their mental health.
Talk to a doctor or mental health professional.
Seek help from your child’s pediatrician or family doctor or ask for a referral to a mental health professional. The goal is to learn more about what could be helpful for your child. This could be talk therapy, or, in some cases, medication. Check out the Find Help page for therapists in your area.
Learn more about your child’s symptoms or diagnosis.
You can find helpful information on the Learn More page or you can take a mental health screener.
Check out the following websites for more information about specific mental health concerns:
Center for Disease Control and Prevention – Children’s Mental Disorders
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Listen to your child and give them support.
Mental health concerns can make someone feel alone. Let your child know you are there to listen and help. Your child might need your help at school or with learning new strategies for handling situations and relationships.
Be Patient.
Sometimes progress takes time. Mental health support is designed to help people learn new skills and behaviors. As with learning anything new, this takes time and practice. Letting your child know that you’re there to support them—and that learning anything new takes time—is important for your child.
Remember to take care of yourself too.
If your child is dealing with mental health concerns, it’s important to take care of your own mental health, too. This way, you can be there for your child and show them a good example.
If needed, get crisis support.
If your child talks about hurting themselves or others, or if their behavior worries you, get help right away from a mental health expert or call emergency services.