Parents and teachers are the first to recognize when a child has an emotional or behavioral problem. For parents the fact of seeking psychological or psychiatric aid remains a taboo. First, consult your pediatrician and is the guiding and encouraging to come to child psychiatry specialist if necessary. In general psychological help-seeking child or youth is a difficult and painful for many parents.
They tend to think that a child “normal” must be free of emotional or mental problems, but this is not true. Childhood and adolescence, as any stage of life, there may be illness and psychological or psychiatric disorders. In fact childhood and especially adolescence are critical times where the person is very vulnerable.
The child, unlike the adults can not decide to go to a psychologist, but it should get their parents that I mean that the family should be aware of this and listen and observe the child for any emotional or of conduct. Children and adolescents lack the resources to explain in a clear way what happens on a psychological level.
The most common diseases or disorders in these stages are: hyperactivity, anxiety disorders, depression, childhood psychosis or pervasive developmental disorders.
At the time a problem is detected the child psychiatric, family, school and pediatrician should be informed and coordinated to provide the best help the child.
The warning signs that may lead to suspicion that a child needs counseling or psychiatric differ depending on age.
In young children:
Significant adverse changes in school performance
Bad grades in school, despite making a remarkable effort.
The child is very concerned or excessive anxiety, which may manifest itself by refusing to attend school, sleep or engage in normal activities for a child his age.
Hyperactivity, restlessness, constant movement beyond the normal child.
Persistent nightmares and other sleep disorders.
Persistent disobedience or aggression (longer than 6 months) and provocative oppositional behavior toward authority figures.
Frequent and unexplained tantrums
In teens the warning signs are:
Poor school performance.
Difficulty coping with problems, situations or daily activities.
Changes in sleeping habits and / or eating.
Frequent physical complaints: frequent somatic complaints like headaches and stomach
Sexuality marked and not commensurate with their age
Manifested by a depressed mood mood and persistently negative attitude, often accompanied by poor appetite, difficulty sleeping and ideas related to death.
Abuse of drugs or alcohol.
Intense fear of gaining weight regardless of weight and realize their true about behaviors such as restricting food intake or take purgatives and laxatives.
Persistent nightmares.
Threats or aggressive behavior towards himself or towards others.
Frequent outbursts of anger and aggression.
Threats to leave the home.
Persistent violation of the rights of other people in an aggressive or not aggressive, challenge to authority, absence from school, theft or vandalism.
Thoughts, feelings and beliefs strange or unusual behavior.
Obesidad y adolescencia
School failure
Abdominal pain in children
The child with repeated infections
Reasons for urgent consultations in the newborn
