If you’re the parent of a child who is experiencing distress, you may be thinking that you’re alone or that your child is alone. However, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20% of children have had a debilitating mental illness at some point in their life or currently have one. If you’re wondering if you should bring your child to a psychiatrist, read on to learn more about your options.

Common Pediatric Mental Illnesses

The most common pediatric mental illnesses include anxiety, depression, oppositional defiant disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, according to the CDC. Children can experience significant and even debilitating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) long before reaching adulthood. Consequently, a visit to a psychiatrist can be in order when your child is showing distress either from specific issues or from the stresses of everyday life.

Mental Health Services for Children

Children are often much less skilled at managing their emotions than adults. If a child needs help, then this can cause them to struggle with communicating. For example, they may not know how to ask for it or might think they need to hide their struggles to avoid inconveniencing others. These can be issues for adults as well, but parents need to be sensitive to the needs of their children and watch out for such signs.

It can be difficult to balance a kid’s need for privacy with the adult’s duty to watch out for their well-being. Kids need privacy to grow into functional adults, so knowing how much to step in and when to do so can be a real balancing act. Still, when that step is needed, a psychiatrist can help create the space that your child needs to unpack their psychological and medical needs.

How Psychiatrists Can Help

Psychiatrists are medical doctors who specialize in treating psychological illnesses. Unlike therapists and psychologists, a psychiatrist is specifically educated in handling medications that treat mental illness in adults and children. Psychiatrists are not the only part of a mental health treatment plan but are necessary for the plan when talk therapy alone will not get the results needed.

If your child is struggling severely with managing their emotions or balancing the stresses of everyday life, it would be beneficial to take them to see a psychiatrist. A psychiatrist can help develop a mental health plan that’ll work to foster your child’s happiness. Contact SouthEnd Psychiatry today to learn more about how we can support your children.