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Childhood Mental Disorders: Symptoms and Treatment
Introduction
Childhood disorders refer to the emotional and mental issues that are diagnosed and often happen to younger or school-going children. Some symptoms begin early in a childs life, although some develop during the adolescent stage (Dias et al., 2018). Some illnesses might progress and become problematic, while others end during adulthood. Conversely, a child might adopt skills that help them manage the condition and lead a productive life. There are different types of childhood mental disorders with varying symptoms and the treatment given to reduce them.
Definition
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health issue, which causes children to worry over many things almost every day. Dias et al. (2018) explains that kids with GAD have the same fears as most children do, although with GAD their fears become more intense. Children with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) have unwanted or unreasonable fears and thoughts that cause repetitive behaviors. Children with social anxiety have a constant worry about being judged by other individuals. They believe that people think negatively about them and are afraid of joining activities, such as school discussions, making friends, or attending parties.
Symptoms
The symptoms of GAD might vary from one child to another, but some are common. For example, children might worry about school activities or friends. The kid might have constant thoughts about personal safety and that of their parents. Refusing to attend school, sleeping difficulties, muscle tension, and aches are also common GAD symptoms. Dias et al. (2018) explain that a kid with GAD can also exhibit fear about sleeping away from home, extreme fatigue, inability to relax, being easily startled, lack of concentration, and being grouchy. Parents should ensure that children with GAD symptoms seek medical assistance. Social phobia symptoms include refusing to attend school and poor social skills such as avoiding eye contact. Children might also fear using public toilets or having a meal with others. Additionally, children with social anxiety have difficulties speaking on the phone or expressing their thoughts and feelings. The symptoms of OCD have compulsions and obsessions, although children might have one and lack the other (Dias et al., 2018). Obsession symptoms include fear of being contaminated by what other people touch, unpleasant sexual images, stress when things are not arranged properly, or avoiding situations that can cause obsessions. Examples of compulsion symptoms are specific patterns, for example, repeating a word or phrase, checking doors to ensure they are locked, or washing hands until the skin becomes raw.
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments
Cognitive-Behavioral Treatments (CBT) primary goal in social anxiety phobia is to identify thought patterns and irrational beliefs. These therapies involve techniques, which can be given individually or combined. The treatments for GAD are conducted for approximately four months, with weekly sessions taking 1-2 hours. The treatment methods primary underlying premise is that behavior, feelings, and thoughts are related; therefore, interfering with one might cause problems with another (Dias et al., 2018). For example, an individual experiences less anxiety when negative thinking is changed. Cognitive methods modify the catastrophic beliefs and thinking patterns, also known as cognitive restructuring, through providing psychoeducation. Behavioral approaches include planning pleasurable activities, relaxation training, controlled exposure to situations and thoughts avoided, as well as scheduling specific worry time. CBT therapies for social anxiety change the childs underlying core beliefs, which determine how they interpret the environment, and it results in the long-lasting symptoms improvement (Dias et al., 2018). However, CBT requires repetition and practice every day for several months. Although the process is challenging at the beginning, it becomes automatic with time. As a result, a child thinks, acts, and feels different because the memory processes are affected, and brain pathways are altered. Systematic desensitization is the most commonly used behavioral method to treat SAD. The approach is gradual and involves exposure training where a child experiences provoking situations to help them overcome fear (Dias et al., 2018). For example, a mental health professional can ask the child to imagine participating in a class discussion. Although the child might fear at first, they become confident with time. Cognitive therapy helps a child modify and identify thought patterns that cause negative behavior, phobia, or distress. Cognitive therapies reduce group and interpersonal relationship anxiety and give a child with SAD control over social phobia (Dias et al., 2018). Additionally, they know that the brain is sending error messages and try to respond to them positively. For example, a child who thinks that they will acquire germs from playing with clay is made to understand that most kids touch it and are not harmed. There are two scientific CBT approaches to treat OCD: cognitive therapy and exposure response prevention (ERP). In ERP, children are exposed to situations that stimulate their anxiety in small doses where they learn to cope without performing rituals (Dias et al., 2018). For example, children can be asked to imagine facing down a bully in their heads and see the bully becoming smaller while they get stronger.
Pharmacotherapy Treatments
Benzodiazepines help reduce GAD symptoms since they have a rapid anxiolysis onset (minutes to hours) contrary to antidepressants, which takes several weeks. However, pharmacotherapy is used if cognitive-behavioral treatments do not work effectively. Social anxiety treatment depends on how much the disorder has affected an individuals daily life. The effective medications include SSRIs, such as fluoxetine, escitalopram, fluvoxamine, paroxetine, and sertraline (Dias et al., 2018). Additionally, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine is also used because it effectively cures comorbid conditions. The medication is with a low dose and increased to full dose eventually after healthcare professionals assess the condition. Antidepressants such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), namely sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Cipralex), and citalopram (Celexa), are recommended by healthcare professionals for children with SAD more often than other treatments. Dias et al. (2018) explain that Tricyclic antidepressants and serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs) are also used and they have fewer side effects than SSRIs. SNRIs include paroxetine (Paxil), venlafaxine (Effexor), duloxetine (Cymbalta), and escitalopram (Lexapro) (Dias et al., 2018). Medication is used to lower anxiety and manage the symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) when the child does not respond to therapy. Antidepressants, such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), are first prescribed by a healthcare professional not to cure the disorder but to reduce symptoms (Dias et al., 2018). The four recommended drugs for children include sertraline, clomipramine, Fluoxetine, and Fluvoxamine.
Conclusion
In summary, childhood disorders mostly occur and are diagnosed in school-going kids, and the symptom might lessen during adolescence or progress to adulthood. There are different childhood mental disorders, with each exhibiting different symptoms. For example, children with GAD worry about many situations more times than other kids; those with social phobia are afraid of what people think about them, while OCD children have unwanted feelings and thoughts, which results in repetitive behavior.
Reference
Dias, R. V., Stangier, U., Laurito, L. D., Vigne, P., Loureiro, C. C., Dos-Santos-Ribeiro, S. & Fontenelle, L. F. (2018). Illness perceptions across obsessive-compulsive disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder patients. International Journal of Cognitive Therapy, 11(4), 434-443. Web.
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