Mental Illness (MI) is a term used by mental health professionals that includes many disorders. Although MI usually does not occur until late adolescence or adulthood, it can and does occur in childhood as well. When MI occurs in childhood, it is considered childhood-onset mental illness (COMI). COMI can cause serious problems for the kids and adolescents who have it, including problems in their biological, social, and emotional development. Kids with COMI need the significant adults in their lives (moms and dads, grandmoms and dads, siblings, aunts/uncles, teachers, religious leaders, and others) to understand what COMI is, how it impacts kid's lives, and learn how to recognize its signs and symptoms. If untreated, kids with COMI can live their lives misunderstood and mistreated. Fortunately, COMI can be treated and kids with it can have meaningful lives. If you think a youngster may be experiencing symptoms of COMI, it is important to have the youngster evaluated by a mental health professional. Kids with COMI who receive treatment soon after symptoms appear have the opportunity to experience a quality childhood.
What is Mental Illness?
Kids, adolescents and adults of all ages can experience a MI. Mental illnesses are biologically based, meaning that chemicals or structures in the brain are not working as they are supposed to, resulting in symptoms that cannot be managed or overcome without treatment, often resulting in lives that are unstable and unfulfilled. Symptoms of MI include problems in thinking, behaving, and feeling (moods and emotions). When a person is experiencing the symptoms of a MI, relationships with family and peers, school or work performance, and basic daily activities (sleeping, eating, bathing, dressing) can be difficult. Kids who have MI sometimes need to be hospitalized to stabilize their symptoms or attend special programs, schools, or classrooms that specialize in treating COMI. These kids also can receive treatment in community based agencies or private practice settings.
There are many disorders that meet the criteria for COMI, including Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, Schizoaffective Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and certain Anxiety Disorders, including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Diagnosis can be difficult in kids, as symptoms in kids can look different than symptoms in adults. Additionally, some symptoms can suggest that the youngster may have more than one diagnosis, or an unusual presentation of a diagnosis. Organizations such as the NAMI and the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have made gains in identifying and understanding how these symptoms specifically manifest themselves in kids. Information on COMI is readily accessible to the general public through consumer-based resources like NAMI and NIMH.
How is COMI Diagnosed and Treated?
Although a youngster with COMI may experience periods of instability even with treatment, when a youngster with COMI is correctly diagnosed and receives appropriate treatment, the likelihood of having a relatively normal childhood increases significantly. Often diagnosis begins when a parent, teacher, or other significant adult in a youngster's life notices subtle or significant changes in behavior, thinking or moods that signal the possible presence of a COMI and the need for a formal mental health evaluation. This evaluation can be the beginning of treatment or the beginning of a larger assessment process, depending on the severity of the problem and symptoms the youngster is experiencing. Mental health professionals who can evaluate for COMI include psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and professional counselors who specialize in the treatment of kids.
Will a Youngster with COMI Need Medication?
Due to the biological basis of COMI, psychiatric evaluation and treatment is generally necessary. The disorders associated with COMI usually require medications for symptom management. Youngster psychiatrists specialize in evaluating and treating the various disorders of COMI. Since some symptoms of COMI also can be symptoms of other medical conditions, a thorough medical evaluation is needed. Additionally, substance use or abuse can produce symptoms similar to those found in COMI. An accurate diagnosis of COMI can be made only after a general medical condition and substance use have been ruled out as the cause of the youngster's symptoms. However, even when substance use has been identified, it is not uncommon for kids with COMI disorders to use substances to cope with the symptoms associated with their disorders. Therefore, further assessment for COMI may be necessary.
Is Psychological Testing Necessary?
Some kids with COMI will need formal psychological assessment or testing. This assessment will inform those parenting, educating and treating the youngster how the youngster is functioning, direct the treatment and educational programs, and identify the youngster's strengths and vulnerabilities. Psychological testing should be done by a qualified mental health professional.
Who is Involved in Treating COMI?
COMI increases the need to create supportive and stable environments for kids. Consequently, a team of mental health professionals is needed to effectively intervene. The lives of kids are complex and can involve many significant adults. The youngster with COMI will experience the need for help in multiple settings, including home, school, and the community. The professionals involved with a youngster with COMI and his or her family may include 1) a family therapist, 2) a primary care physician, 3) a youngster psychiatrist, 4) a case manager, and 5) an occupational therapist or educational coordinator.
What Other Elements are Important for the Treatment of COMI?
In addition to medication, treatment for a youngster with COMI (regardless of the specific diagnosis) needs to include psychoeducation, behavior management, and psychotherapy. Psychoeducation teaches kids and families about COMI and the impact it has on the youngster's life and family. This includes information about the disorder, its symptoms, treatment, and future risks. Kids with COMI need age-appropriate psychoeducation regarding their illness, as well as an action plan to manage their symptoms and prevent the symptoms form reoccurring. Managing symptoms also includes behavior management techniques that help moms and dads, teachers, and others provide a structured environment where the youngster with COMI can be most successful.
Kids with COMI may also need individual and/or group psychotherapy to develop healthy coping skills. Therapy can focus on a variety of issues including positive peer interaction, self-esteem, and identity development. It is important for kids with COMI to be able to understand the role their illness plays in their lives, but also to recognize other parts of their selves that are separate from the disorder.
Is Family Treatment Necessary?
Family involvement in treatment for the youngster with COMI is very important. Among other things, families provide structure, support and the opportunity for the youngster to stay interpersonally connected to others. Families themselves also need help in accepting, understanding, and coping with a diagnosis of COMI when it is made. Treatment for families with COMI includes psychoeducation and support that is balanced by attention to other family issues or problems that may be affecting the stability of the home--for example, substance abuse or domestic violence. If other family problems are not addressed and treated, there can be significant negative consequences for the youngster with COMI. Likewise, there can be significant gains for both the youngster and family when the family receives treatment for COMI. A marriage and family therapist can provide the necessary psychoeducation, support and therapy necessary for kids and families dealing with COMI.
Online parent Support
0 comments:
Post a Comment