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PRmom: Are we all crazy?
My kids are genetically screwed. Depression and anxiety run on both sides of the family. Turns out that they might not be alone. More than a quarter of all Americans have a mental disorder at some point in their lives, according to a 2004 study by the World Health Organization.
Hopefully they’ll dodge the bullet (and I’ll stop seeing every temper tantrum as a future psychosis). Of course, it didn’t help to learn that mental health problems aren’t just for adults. Turns out many young children—even preschoolers—suffer. Research suggests that 11-15 percent of children under the age of 18 have a diagnosable mental disorder.
So, how do you know? A new study by a researcher here at FPG tested a simple and inexpensive mental health screening process designed to flag potential signs of more serious problem. It was found to be a valid and reliable instrument for use in preschool screening of children who are at risk of problems of attention behavior, language and emotions that might interfere with their adjustment at school.
Check out the research summary.
Comments
I hope that your post helps people to feel like they have an open, understanding forum in which to discuss mental illness.
I have suffered from clinical depression for almost 20 years and not a day goes by that I don't worry that my children will inherit the same tendencies that run strongly on my side of the family.
My attitude, which is easy to have when you are a confident and established adult, is to be as open and candid as I possibly can about my illness. That way, possibly someone who reads my blog (www.liveandletdi.com...plus my weekly contributions here) might be able to help herself or help a friend.
We've all got to make mental illness more acceptable (if that's the right word.) Remember, before Betty Ford, no one uttered the words "breast cancer" in public. We can make the same strides with the understanding of and treatment of mental illnesses...but the first step is knocking down those barriers that prevent people from speaking openly and getting treatment.
Thank you so much for your post. I definitely agree with being open and honest. We also practice this at home so that the kids know if dad is not quite himself what it's about. I think this is important so that they don't start making up their own reasons or blaming themselves. Maybe by teaching our kids that mental health problems are no different from any other medical problem (in that they are caused by parts of our bodies not operating quite as they should), we'll eliminate the stigma. If you have children, how do you broach the issue with them?