In the Monitor on Psychology February 2011 issue a short article noted new data on mental illness in American youth.  It indicates:

Up to half of U.S. children and adolescents meet diagnostic criteria for at least one mental disorder by age 18, according to the first nationally representative, face-to-face survey on the topic. The data, released in October by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, also showed that many of these disorders emerge early — with an average age-of-onset of 6 for anxiety disorders, 11 for behavior disorders, 13 for mood disorders and 15 for substance use disorders.

The Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (Vol. 49, No. 10) indicates the percent of youth who meet the criteria for a mental disorder.

• Anxiety Disorders - 31.9%
• Behavior Disorders - 19.1%
• Mood Disorders - 14.3 %
• Substance Use Disorders - 11.4%

This data is reflective of the challenges our youth face in our culture and in what is frequently a challenging home environment.  Parents, therapists, and educators all need to be keenly aware of these numbers, and cognizant of ways to intervene in terms of treatment and in terms of prevention.  Get to know the average age of onset for the disorders noted in the graph above, and learn to look for signs of difficulty.

In many cases there is great value in parent(s) attending therapy sessions, even when it seems the issue is unrelated to parenting.  The consultation of an outside voice can often go a long ways toward helping ameliorate an otherwise very difficult situation.  And earlier intervention is always better, so don’t wait until your child’s or student’s situation is critical.  Get them and/or their parent(s) the help they need as soon as you see the early signs of anxiety or depression, or as soon as you see or hear about significant behavior problems or substance use.

Although there are many situations where intervention can best occur with the parent(s) only, there are also times when the family needs to be seen, or when the child or adolescent needs individual therapy.   The development of a trusting therapeutic relationship helps young people who struggle with psychological issues and challenges. 

If you are a parent and you see your child struggling psychologically or behaviorally, seek out competent help.  Talk to your child’s teacher(s), meet with the youth pastor or youth leader if you are in a church, and seek out capable therapists to come alongside you and your family.  There is much that can be done to help our children and adolescents be healthy, resilient people who can mature and contribute to the well-being of our families, our communities, and our culture.