home Audience 5 List of common mental illnesses with description. Neuropsychiatric disorders in children

List of common mental illnesses with description. Neuropsychiatric disorders in children

Postpone a visit to a psychiatrist. They are afraid of registering the child. As a result, the disease is neglected, and the symptoms mental disorders persist into adulthood. How to recognize such violations? And how to distinguish them from children's whims and shortcomings of education? We will answer these questions in the article.

Causes

The emergence of mental health disorders in children and adolescents can be triggered the following reasons:

hereditary predisposition. If parents or close relatives have mental illness, then the disease can be transmitted to children. This does not mean that the child will necessarily suffer from mental pathologies, but such a risk exists.
Head trauma. Brain damage from a bruise or blow can have long-term consequences. Often, mental disorders in children appear years after the traumatization.
Infections. Children who have had meningitis often suffer from mental disorders. The state of the nervous system of the child may also be affected by infections suffered by the mother during pregnancy.
Bad habits of parents. If the mother drank or smoked during pregnancy, this can have an extremely negative effect on the development of the central nervous system of the fetus. Mental disorders can manifest themselves only at senior preschool or school age. The lifestyle of the future father is also of great importance. If a man suffers from alcoholism, then the risk of conceiving a sick child is high.
Unhealthy family environment. If the mother and father often quarrel in front of the child, then the baby has a lot of stress. Against the background of constant emotional stress in children, deviations in the psyche appear. There is anxiety, nervousness, tearfulness or excessive isolation. This a prime example about how parents provoke mental disorders in children.
Wrong upbringing. The reason for the development of pathology can also be excessive severity, frequent criticism of a child or teenager, as well as overprotection or lack of proper attention from parents.

The above reasons do not always lead to the development of pathology. Typically, mental disorders develop under the influence of several factors. For example, if a child has an unfavorable heredity, and at the same time suffers from frequent stress or has received a head injury, then the risk of psychopathology increases significantly.

Mental development of children

The development of the child's psyche can be divided into several periods:

infancy (up to 1 year);
early childhood (from 1 year to 3 years);
preschool age (3-7 years);
primary school age (7-11 years);
puberty(11-15 years old);
youth (15-17 years old).

Mental disorders in children most often occur during the transition from one stage of development to another. During these periods, the child's nervous system becomes especially vulnerable.

Features of mental disorders at different ages

Peak mental disorders falls on the age periods of 3-4 years, 5-7 years and 13-17 years. Many psychopathologies that are noted in adults begin to form even when the patient was a teenager or a child.

Mental disorders in children younger age(up to 1 year) are extremely rare. The baby needs to be natural needs(in food, sleep) were satisfied. At this age, mode is very important and proper care for the baby. If the physiological needs of the baby are not met in time, then this causes severe stress. In the future, this can provoke the development of pathologies of the psyche.

Mental disorders in children at 2 years old can be caused by excessive parental care. Many mothers continue to treat a grown child like a baby. This inhibits the development of the baby and forms excessive passivity and fearfulness. In the future, these qualities can lead to neurotic disorders. This is another example of how parents provoke mental disorders in children.

After 3 years, children become very active and mobile. They can show capriciousness, stubbornness, be naughty. It is necessary to respond correctly to such manifestations and not to suppress the mobility of the child. Toddlers of this age really need emotional contact with adults. Mental disorders in children 3 years old are most often provoked by a lack of attention from parents. can lead to speech delay as well as autism.

At the age of 4, children may experience the first neurotic manifestations. Children of this age react painfully to any negative events. Neurosis can be expressed in disobedience, such children often do everything contrary to the requirements of their parents.

Mental disorders in 5-year-old children are often expressed in excessive isolation. With unfavorable heredity, it is at this age that the first signs of childhood schizophrenia can be detected. The child becomes untidy, loses interest in games, his vocabulary deteriorates. It's pretty dangerous symptoms mental disorders in children school age. Without treatment, such pathologies steadily progress.

In school-age children psychogenic disorders most often associated with education. This may be due to learning difficulties. If parents make excessively high demands, and the child finds it difficult to study, this leads to severe stress. Such children often suffer from neuroses. Because of the fear of getting a low grade, the child may be afraid to attend school, refuse food, and sleep poorly.

In adolescence and youth, mental disorders are not uncommon. During puberty, there is emotional instability associated with hormonal changes organism. Children often change their mood, they are extremely sensitive to the words of others, but at the same time they can be arrogant and overconfident. Against the background of an unstable emotional state, adolescents may experience mental disorders. During this period, parents should be especially attentive to the state of mind of the child.

When to see a doctor

How to distinguish manifestations of mental disorders in children and adolescents from character traits? Indeed, often parents accept initial signs pathologies for bad behavior. The following symptoms should be of concern:

If a child has the above features of behavior, then it is urgent to contact a child psychiatrist. Such manifestations cannot be corrected by educational methods. These are signs of a developing pathology that, without treatment, will progress and lead to negative personality changes.

Types of mental disorders

What types of mental health disorders are most common in children and adolescents? A child may suffer from the same pathologies as adults, such as schizophrenia, neurosis, eating disorders (anorexia or bulimia). However, there are disorders that are specific to childhood and adolescence. These include:

mental retardation;
impaired mental function;
autism;
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder);
mixed disorders of school skills.

mental retardation (oligophrenia)

With severe and moderate signs of a mental disorder in children are noticeable already in the first years of life. Light degree oligophrenia can manifest itself only in primary school age. The symptoms of this pathology are as follows:

bad memory;
cognitive decline;
fuzzy speech;
poor vocabulary;
low vigilance;
inability to think through the consequences of one's actions;
poor emotional development.

Education of children with mental disorders of this type is carried out in correctional schools according to a special program or at home. The child also needs the supervision of a child psychiatrist. This violation cannot be cured or corrected completely. At mild degree mentally retarded child can be taught self-care skills and develop the ability to communicate with others. With severe mental retardation, the patient needs outside care.

Impaired mental function

This pathology refers to borderline mental disorders. The child does not have obvious signs of mental retardation, but his development is still lower age norm. Doctors also call this deviation mental infantilism.

A symptom of a mental disorder in preschool children is a delay in the development of speech, motor skills and emotions. This indicates developmental delay. The child begins to walk and talk late, with difficulty mastering new skills.

Children with borderline mental disorders of this type need developmental activities. If you give the child due attention, then as they grow older, the signs of pathology disappear. However, in some children, some manifestations of mental infantilism persist in adolescence and youth.

Mixed Skills Disorders

It is not uncommon for a child to have a normal intellect but fail to master the skills of writing, counting and reading. This creates great difficulties in teaching in a regular school. In such cases, doctors talk about a mixed mental disorder in children.

During the diagnosis, the child does not reveal any neurological disorders or mental retardation. Memory and cognitive abilities remain within the normal range. This pathology is associated with the slow maturation of certain brain structures responsible for the ability to master school skills.

Children with these disorders need special education in spa schools or at home. They are encouraged to study on an individual program. cure this disorder medical methods impossible. This disorder is subject to correction only by pedagogical methods.

Autism

This mental disorder is congenital. The child has impaired contact with others and lacks social skills. Autistic people have difficulty learning to speak and do not seek to communicate. They are completely immersed in their inner world.

This pathology is also characterized by stereotyped actions. A child can spend hours laying out the blocks in a certain order and at the same time show no interest in any other activities.

A healthy child usually learns various skills from adults. It is difficult for an autistic person to receive information from the outside world due to poor communication with other people. In addition, children with autism are very sensitive to any changes, because of this it is difficult for them to learn something new.

There is no cure for autism. However, this violation is subject to partial correction. With the help of drugs and pedagogical methods children can develop language and communication skills.

ADHD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is most often observed in children aged 6-12 years. This pathology is characterized by the following manifestations:

Hyperactive children have normal intelligence. But due to restlessness and inattention, they, as a rule, study poorly. If this pathology is not treated in childhood, then some signs of ADHD may persist into adulthood. Mature people with hyperactivity tend to bad habits and conflicts with others.

Eating disorders

Teenagers are most often affected. These psychopathologies are divided into 2 types:

anorexia;
bulimia.

With anorexia, the child constantly seems to be overweight, even if his body weight is within the normal range. These teenagers are extremely critical of their appearance. Because of the desire to lose weight, children completely refuse food or follow excessively strict diets. This results in weight loss critical level And serious problems With physical health.

When a child has bulimia, it is pathologically increased appetite. A teenager absorbs a huge amount of food in large portions. Overeating often occurs after stressful situations. At the same time, the child eats very quickly, practically without chewing food. The consequence of this pathology can be obesity and diseases of the digestive tract.

Childhood schizophrenia

IN childhood schizophrenia is quite rare. An important role in the occurrence of this pathology is played by the hereditary factor. Therefore, parents should carefully look at the behavior of the child if there have been cases of schizophrenia among his immediate family. This disease in children often manifests itself in preschool and adolescence. The following symptoms should be of concern:

isolation;
lack of will and apathy;
untidiness;
loss of interest in former favorite activities;
illogical statements;
sudden aggressiveness;
freezing in strange uncomfortable positions;
rave;
hallucinations.

If the child constantly has the above symptoms, then it is necessary to visit a child psychiatrist. Schizophrenia cannot be completely cured, but it can be long time keep the patient in remission. Without therapy, this pathology is steadily progressing and can lead to disability.

Treatment

The choice of treatment for psychogenic pathologies in children depends on the type of disease. In some cases, the problem can be dealt with quickly. At chronic pathologies may require long-term and sometimes lifelong medication. The following therapies are used:

Psychotherapeutic methods. The doctor regularly talks with the child and his parents. He finds out the cause of the problem and recommends ways to resolve it. Also, during the conversation, the doctor can teach the child to control their behavior. In mild cases, a significant improvement can be achieved only by psychotherapy without the use of drugs.
Medical treatment. In more difficult cases medication is required. With increased aggressiveness, mood swings, depression, antidepressants, neuroleptics and sedatives. For developmental delay, a psychiatrist may recommend nootropic drugs. When treating children, doctors try to select the most gentle drugs in minimal doses.
Hospital treatment. In very severe cases may require treatment in a pediatric setting psychiatric hospital. Hospitalization is necessary if the child has a tendency to self-harm, suicide attempts, delusions, hallucinations, severe aggression. Such children should be under constant medical supervision.

If parents notice signs of mental abnormalities in a child, then it is impossible to delay a visit to the doctor. Without treatment, such diseases progress and significantly complicate the adaptation of a person in society.

Mental disorders can complicate a person's life even more than obvious physical disabilities. The situation is especially critical when suffering from an invisible illness Small child who has his whole life ahead of him, and it is now that rapid development should take place. For this reason, parents should be aware of the topic, closely monitor their children and promptly respond to any suspicious phenomena.

Causes

Childhood mental illness does not arise out of nowhere - there is a clear list of criteria that do not guarantee the development of a disorder, but strongly contribute to it. Individual diseases have their own causes, but this area is more characterized by mixed specific disorders, and it’s not about choosing or diagnosing a disease, but about common causes occurrence. It is worth considering all possible causes, without dividing by the disorders they cause.

genetic predisposition

This is the only completely unavoidable factor. In this case, the disease is caused initially by improper functioning of the nervous system, and gene disorders, as you know, are not treated - doctors can only muffle the symptoms.

If there are cases of serious mental disorders among close relatives of future parents, it is possible (but not guaranteed) that they will be transmitted to the baby. However, such pathologies can manifest themselves even at preschool age.

Limited mental capacity

Brain damage

Another extremely common cause, which (like gene disorders) interferes normal operation brain, but not at the gene level, but at the level visible in an ordinary microscope.

First of all, this includes head injuries received in the first years of life, but some children are not so lucky that they manage to get injured even before birth - or as a result of difficult births.

Violations can also provoke an infection, which is considered more dangerous for the fetus, but can also infect the child.

Bad habits of parents

Usually they point to the mother, but if the father was not healthy due to alcoholism or a strong addiction to smoking, drugs, this could also affect the health of the child.

Experts claim that female body especially sensitive to the damaging effects of bad habits, so it is highly undesirable for women in general to drink or smoke, but even a man who wants to conceive healthy child, must first refrain from such methods for several months.

A pregnant woman is strictly forbidden to drink and smoke.

Constant conflicts

When they say that a person is able to go crazy in a difficult psychological environment, this is not at all an artistic exaggeration.

If an adult does not provide a healthy psychological atmosphere, then for a baby who does not yet have a developed nervous system or a correct perception of the world around him, this can be a real blow.

Most often, the cause of pathologies is conflicts in the family, since the child is there most of the time, from there he has nowhere to go. However, in some cases important role an unfavorable environment in the circle of peers can also play - in the yard, in kindergarten or school.

In the latter case, the problem can be solved by changing the institution that the child attends, but for this you need to delve into the situation and begin to change it even before the consequences become irreversible.

Types of diseases

Children can get sick with almost all mental illnesses that adults are also susceptible to, but kids have their own (especially children's) diseases. At the same time, the exact diagnosis of a particular disease in childhood is much more complicated. The peculiarities of the development of babies, whose behavior is already very different from that of adults, are affected.

Not in all cases, parents can easily recognize the first signs of problems.

Even doctors usually make a final diagnosis no earlier than the child reaches primary school age, using to describe early disorder very vague, too general concepts.

We will give a generalized list of diseases, the description of which, for this reason, will not be perfectly accurate. In some patients, individual symptoms will not appear, and the very fact of the presence of even two or three signs will not mean a mental disorder. In general, the summary table of childhood mental disorders looks like this.

Mental retardation and developmental delay

The essence of the problem is quite obvious - the child is physically developing normally, but on a mental, intellectual level, it lags far behind its peers. It is possible that he will never reach the level of even an average adult.

The result can be mental infantilism, when an adult behaves literally like a child, moreover, a preschooler or a primary school student. It is much more difficult for such a child to learn, this can be caused as bad memory, and the inability to own will focus on a specific subject.

The slightest extraneous factor can distract the baby from learning.

attention deficit disorder

Although by name this group of diseases may be perceived as one of the symptoms of the previous group, the nature of the phenomenon here is completely different.

A child with such a syndrome in mental development does not lag behind at all, and hyperactivity typical of him is perceived by most people as a sign of health. However, it is precisely in excessive activity that the root of evil lies, since in this case it has painful features - there is absolutely no activity that a child would love and bring to the end.

It is quite obvious that it is extremely problematic to force such a child to study diligently.

Autism

The concept of autism is extremely broad, but in general it is characterized by a very deep withdrawal into one's own inner world. Many consider autism a form of retardation, but in some forms, the learning potential of such children is not very different from their peers.

The problem lies in the impossibility of normal communication with others. If healthy child learns absolutely everything from others, then an autistic person receives much less information from the outside world.

Gaining new experience also turns out to be a serious problem, since children with autism perceive any sudden changes extremely negatively.

However, autistic people are even capable of independent mental development, it just happens more slowly - due to the lack of maximum opportunities for acquiring new knowledge.

"Adult" mental disorders

This should include those ailments that are considered relatively common among adults, but in children they are quite rare. A noticeable phenomenon among adolescents are various manic states: megalomania, persecution, and so on.

Childhood schizophrenia affects only one child among fifty thousand, but frightens with the scale of regression in mental and physical development. Because of the bright severe symptoms became known and Tourette's syndrome, when the patient regularly uses obscene language (uncontrollably).

What should parents pay attention to?

Psychologists with extensive experience say that absolutely healthy people does not exist. If in most cases minor oddities are perceived as a peculiar, but not particularly disturbing character trait, then in certain situations they can become clear sign future pathology.

Because systematics mental illness in childhood is complicated by the similarity of symptoms in fundamentally different disorders, it is not worth considering disturbing oddities in relation to individual diseases. It is better to present them in the form general list alarm bells.

It is worth recalling that none of these qualities is a 100% sign of a mental disorder - unless there is a hypertrophied, pathological level of development of the defect.

So, the reason for going to a specialist may be a vivid manifestation of the following qualities in a child.

Increased level of cruelty

Here one should distinguish between childish cruelty caused by a lack of understanding of the degree of discomfort caused, and getting pleasure from purposeful, conscious infliction of pain - not only to others, but also to oneself.

If a kid at the age of about 3 years old pulls a cat by the tail, then he will learn the world in this way, but if at school age he checks her reaction to trying to tear off her paw, then this is clearly not normal.

Cruelty usually expresses an unhealthy atmosphere at home or in the company of friends, but it can either pass by itself (under the influence of external factors), and give irreparable consequences.

Fundamental refusal of food and hypertrophied desire to lose weight

concept anorexia V last years on hearing - it is a consequence of low self-esteem and the desire for an ideal that is so exaggerated that it takes on ugly forms.

Among children suffering from anorexia, almost all are teenage girls, but one should distinguish between normal tracking of one's figure and bringing oneself to exhaustion, since the latter has an extremely negative effect on the functioning of the body.

panic attacks

Fear of something may look generally normal, but have an unjustified a high degree. Relatively speaking: when a person is afraid of heights (falling), standing on the balcony, this is normal, but if he is afraid to be even just in an apartment, on the top floor, this is already a pathology.

Such unreasonable fear not only interferes with normal life in society, but can also lead to more severe consequences, actually creating a complex psychological environment where it does not exist.

Severe depression and suicidal tendencies

Sadness is common to people of all ages. If it drags on for a long time (for example, a couple of weeks), the question arises as to the reason.

Children have virtually no reason to be depressed for such a long period, so it can be considered as a separate illness.

The only common reason for childhood depression may be difficult psychological environment however, it is precisely the cause of the development of many mental disorders.

By itself, depression is dangerous prone to self-destruction. Many people think about suicide at least once in their lives, but if this topic takes on the shape of a hobby, there is a risk of attempting to injure oneself.

Sudden mood swings or changes in habitual behavior

The first factor indicates the looseness of the psyche, its inability to resist in response to certain stimuli.

If a person behaves this way in everyday life, then his reaction in emergency may be inadequate. In addition, with constant bouts of aggression, depression or fear, a person is able to torment himself even more, as well as negatively affect the mental health of others.

A strong and abrupt change in behavior, which does not have a specific justification, rather indicates not the appearance of a mental disorder, but an increased likelihood of such an outcome.

In particular, a person who suddenly became silent must have experienced severe stress.

Excessive hyperactivity that interferes with concentration

When a child is very mobile, this does not surprise anyone, but he probably has some kind of occupation to which he is ready to devote a long time. Hyperactivity with signs of a disorder is when a baby, even in active games can't play long enough, not because he's tired, but simply because his attention shifts to something else.

It is impossible to influence such a child even by threats, but he is faced with reduced opportunities for learning.

Negative phenomena of a social nature

Excessive conflict (up to regular assault) and a tendency to bad habits in themselves can simply signal the presence of a difficult psychological environment that the child is trying to overcome in such unsightly ways.

However, the roots of the problem may lie elsewhere. For example, constant aggression can be caused not only by the need to defend oneself, but also by the increased cruelty mentioned at the beginning of the list.

Treatment methods

Although mental disorders are clearly a serious problem, most of them can be corrected - up to a full recovery, while a relatively small percentage of them are incurable pathologies. Another thing is that treatment can last for years and almost always requires the maximum involvement of all the people around the child.

The choice of technique strongly depends on the diagnosis, while even very similar diseases in terms of symptoms may require a fundamentally different approach to treatment. That is why it is so important to describe the essence of the problem and the symptoms noticed to the doctor as accurately as possible. In this case, the main emphasis should be placed on the comparison “it was and became”, explain why it seems to you that something went wrong.

Most of the relatively simple diseases are treated by ordinary psychotherapy - and only by it. Most often, it takes the form of personal conversations of the child (if he has already reached a certain age) with the doctor, who in this way gets the most accurate idea of \u200b\u200bunderstanding the essence of the problem by the patient himself.

A specialist can assess the scale of what is happening, find out the reasons. The task of an experienced psychologist in this situation is to show the child the hypertrophy of the cause in his mind, and if the cause is really serious, try to distract the patient from the problem, give him a new stimulus.

At the same time, therapy can take different forms - for example, autistic people who are closed in themselves and schizophrenics are unlikely to support the conversation. They may not make contact with a person at all, but they usually do not refuse close communication with animals, which in the end can increase their sociability, and this is already a sign of improvement.

The use of medicines always accompanied by the same psychotherapy, but already indicates a more complex pathology - or its greater development. Children with impaired communication skills or delayed development are given stimulants to increase their activity, including cognitive activity.

When it's bright severe depression, aggression or panic attacks prescribe antidepressants and sedatives. If the child shows signs of painful mood swings and seizures (up to a tantrum), stabilizing and antipsychotic drugs are used.

Hospital is the most difficult form of intervention, showing the need for constant monitoring (at least during the course). This type of treatment is only used to correct the most severe disorders, such as schizophrenia in children. Ailments of this kind are not treated at once - a small patient will have to go to the hospital repeatedly. If positive changes are noticeable, such courses will become rarer and shorter over time.

Naturally, during treatment, the most favorable environment should be created for the child. a stress-free environment. That is why the fact of the presence of a mental illness should not be hidden - on the contrary, kindergarten teachers or school teachers should know about it in order to properly build the educational process and relationships in the team.

It is absolutely unacceptable to tease or reproach the child with his disorder, and in general you should not mention it - let the baby feel normal.

But love him a little more, and then in time everything will fall into place. Ideally, it is better to respond before any signs appear (by preventive methods).

Achieve a stable positive atmosphere in the family circle and build a trusting relationship with your child so that he can count on your support at any time and is not afraid to talk about any phenomenon that is unpleasant for him.

You can learn more about this topic by watching the video below.

Health

To help children who have not been diagnosed with a mental disorder, researchers have released a list of 11 warning, easily recognizable signs that can be used by parents and others.

This list is intended to help bridge the gap between the number of children suffering from mental illness and those who actually receive treatment.

Studies have shown that three out of four children with mental health problems, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, eating disorders And bipolar disorder, go unnoticed and not receive proper treatment.

Parents who notice any of the warning signs should see a pediatrician or mental health professional for a psychiatric evaluation. The researchers hope that the proposed list of symptoms help parents distinguish between normal behavior and signs of mental illness.

"Many people cannot be sure if their child has a problem.," states Dr. Peter S. Jensen(Dr. Peter S. Jensen), professor of psychiatry. " If a person has a “yes” or “no” answer, then it is easier for him to make a decision.."

Identifying a mental disorder in adolescence will also allow children to receive treatment earlier, making it more effective. For some children, it can take up to 10 years from when symptoms appear to when they start receiving treatment.

To compile the list, the committee reviewed studies on mental disorders that included more than 6,000 children.

Here are 11 warning signs of mental disorders:

1. Feelings of deep sadness or withdrawal that last more than 2-3 weeks.

2. Serious attempts to harm or kill yourself, or plans to do so.

3. Sudden, all-consuming fear for no reason, sometimes accompanied by strong heartbeat and fast breathing.

4. Participation in a lot of fights, including the use of weapons, or the desire to harm someone.

5. Violent, out of control behavior that could harm yourself or others.

6. Refusing food, throwing away food, or using laxatives to lose weight.

7. Strong anxieties and fears that interfere with normal activities.

8. Severe difficulty concentrating or being unable to sit still, which puts you in physical danger or causes you to fail.

9. Repeated use of drugs and alcohol.

10. strong swings moods that lead to relationship problems.

11. Abrupt changes in behavior or personality

These signs are not a diagnosis, and for accurate diagnosis parents should consult a specialist. In addition, the researchers explained that these signs do not necessarily appear in children with mental disorders.

Mental health is a very sensitive topic. Clinical manifestations depend on the age of the child and the influence of some factors. Often, due to fear for the upcoming changes in their own lifestyle, parents do not want to notice some problems with the psyche of their child.

Many are afraid to catch the sidelong glances of their neighbors, to feel the pity of friends, to change the usual order of life. But the child has the right to qualified timely help a doctor who will help alleviate his condition, and on early stages some diseases can be cured of this or that spectrum.

One of the complex mental illnesses is children's. This disease is acute condition a baby or already a teenager, which manifests itself in his incorrect perception of reality, his inability to distinguish the real from the fictitious, the inability for him to really understand what is happening.

Features of childhood psychosis

And in children they are not diagnosed as often as in adults and. Mental disorders are different types and forms, but no matter how the disorder manifests itself, no matter what the symptoms of the disease are, psychosis significantly complicates the life of the child and his parents, makes it difficult to think correctly, control actions, and build adequate parallels in relation to established social norms.

Childhood psychotic disorders are characterized by:

Childhood psychosis has different forms and manifestations, therefore it is difficult to diagnose and treat.

Why children are prone to mental disorders

Contribute to the development of mental disorders in children multiple causes. Psychiatrists distinguish whole groups of factors:

genetic;
biological;
sociopsychological;
psychological.

The most important provoking factor is the genetic predisposition to. Other reasons include:

problems with intellect (and (like) with it);
incompatibility of the temperament of the baby and the parent;
family discord;
conflicts between parents;
events that left psychological trauma;
drugs that can cause a psychotic state;
high temperature, which can cause or;

To date, all possible causes have not been fully understood, but studies have confirmed that children with schizophrenia almost always have signs organic disorders brain, and patients with autism are often diagnosed with the presence, which is explained by hereditary causes or trauma during childbirth.

Psychosis in young children may occur due to the divorce of parents.

At-risk groups

Thus, children are at risk:

one of the parents had or has a mental disorder;
who are brought up in a family where conflicts constantly arise between parents;
transferred;
who have undergone psychological trauma;
who have blood relatives mental illness Moreover, the closer the degree of relationship, the greater the risk of the disease.

Varieties of psychotic disorders among children

Diseases of the child's psyche are divided according to some criteria. Depending on age, there are:

early psychosis;
late psychosis.

The first type includes patients from infancy (up to a year), preschool (from 2 to 6 years) and early school age (from 6-8). The second type includes patients of preadolescent (8-11) and adolescence (12-15).

Depending on the cause of the development of the disease, psychosis can be:

exogenous- disorders caused by external factors;
- Violations caused internal features organism.

Depending on the type of course of psychosis can be:

that arose as a result of prolonged psychotrauma;
- arising instantly and unexpectedly.

A kind of psychotic deviation is. Depending on the nature of the course and symptoms, affective disorders are:

Symptoms depending on the form of failure

Various symptoms of mental illness are justified different forms illness. Common symptoms diseases are:

- the baby sees, hears, feels what is not really there;
- a person sees the existing situation in his incorrect interpretation;
passivity, not initiative;
aggressiveness, rudeness;
obsession syndrome.
deviations associated with thinking.

Psychogenic shock often occurs in children and adolescents. Reactive psychosis occurs as a result of psychological trauma.

This form of psychosis has signs and symptoms that distinguish it from other mental spectrum disorders in children:

the reason for it is a deep emotional shock;
reversibility - symptoms weaken with the passage of time;
symptoms depend on the nature of the injury.

Early age

IN early age mental health disorder manifests itself in. The kid does not smile, in any way does not show joy on his face. Up to a year, the disorder is detected in the absence of cooing, babbling, clapping. The baby does not react to objects, people, parents.

Age crises, during which children are most susceptible to mental disorders from 3 to 4 years, from 5 to 7, from 12 to 18 years.

Mental disorders early period appear in:

Later in life up to adolescence

Mental problems in a 5-year-old child should worry parents if the baby loses already acquired skills, communicates little, does not want to play role-playing games, and does not take care of his appearance.

At the age of 7, the child becomes unstable in the psyche, he has a violation of appetite, unnecessary fears appear, working capacity decreases, and rapid overwork appears.

At the age of 12-18, parents need to pay attention to a teenager if he has:

sudden mood swings;
melancholy,;
aggressiveness, conflict;
, inconsistency;
a combination of incongruous: irritability with acute shyness, sensitivity with callousness, the desire for complete independence with the desire to be always close to mom;
schizoid;
rejection of accepted rules;
a penchant for philosophy and extreme positions;
care intolerance.

More painful signs of psychosis in older children are manifested in:

Diagnostic criteria and methods

Despite the proposed list of signs of psychosis, no parent will be able to accurately diagnose it on their own. First of all, parents should show their child to a psychotherapist. But even after the first appointment with a professional, it is too early to talk about mental personality disorders. A small patient should be examined by the following doctors:

neuropathologist;
speech therapist;
psychiatrist;
a doctor who specializes in developmental diseases.

Sometimes the patient is admitted to the hospital for examination and necessary procedures and analyses.

Providing professional assistance

Short-term seizures of psychosis in a child disappear immediately after the disappearance of their cause. More serious illnesses require long-term therapy, often in a hospital setting. Specialists for the treatment of childhood psychosis use the same drugs as for adults, only in suitable doses.

Treatment of psychosis and psychotic spectrum disorders in children involves:

If the parents were able to identify the failure of the psyche in their child on time, then a few consultations with a psychiatrist or psychologist are usually enough to improve the condition. But there are cases that require long-term treatment and being under the supervision of doctors.

A psychological failure in a child, which is associated with his physical condition, is cured immediately after the disappearance of the underlying disease. If the disease was provoked by an experienced stressful situation, then even after the condition improves, the baby requires a special attitude and consultations from a psychotherapist.

In extreme cases, with manifestations strong aggression the baby can be prescribed. But for the treatment of children, the use of heavy psychotropic drugs is used only in extreme cases.

In most cases, childhood psychoses do not recur during adult life in the absence of provocative situations. Parents of recovering children should fully comply with the daily regimen, do not forget about daily walks, balanced diet and, if necessary, take care of taking medications in a timely manner.

The baby should not be left unattended. At the slightest violation of his mental state, it is necessary to seek help from a specialist who will help to cope with the problem that has arisen.

For treatment and avoiding consequences for the child's psyche in the future, it is necessary to follow all the recommendations of specialists.

Every parent concerned about mental health your child should remember:

Love and care is what any person needs, especially a small and defenseless one.

The main types of mental disorders that are characteristic of adults are found in childhood and adolescents. Timely diagnosis in this case is of great importance, since it affects the treatment and further prognosis of the development of severe psychopathology. Mental disorders in school-age children are most often limited to the following categories: schizophrenia, anxiety, and social behavior disorders. Also, adolescents often have psychosomatic disorders that do not have organic causes.

Most common in adolescence are mood disorders (depressions), which can have the most dangerous consequences. At this time, his whole existence seems hopeless to a teenager, he sees everything in black colors. A fragile psyche is the cause of suicidal thoughts among young people, and this problem has acquired important medical significance.

In most cases, depression begins with the child's complaints about his neuropsychic state and subjective feelings. The teenager is isolated from others and withdraws into himself. He feels inferior, depressed and often aggressive, while his critical attitude towards himself further exacerbates the difficult mental state. If the teenager is not provided at this moment medical care, then you can lose it.

Can point out the problem early symptoms diseases:

The child's behavior changes for no apparent reason.
Performance is deteriorating.
Appear and constant feeling fatigue.
The child moves away, withdraws into himself, can lie idle for days on end.
The teenager shows increased aggressiveness, irritability, tearfulness.
He does not share experiences, becomes detached, forgetful, ignores requests, is silent all the time, does not devote himself to his affairs and gets annoyed if he is asked.
Teenager is bulimic or total absence appetite.

The list goes on, but if a teenager has most of these signs, you should immediately consult a specialist. Childhood mental disorders should be treated by a doctor who specializes in the treatment of adolescent psychopathology. Treatment of depression most often involves a combination of pharmacological and psychotherapeutic effects..

Schizophrenia

Early detection and pharmacotherapy initial stage schizophrenia in childhood and adolescence improves the prognosis in the future. The early signs of this disorder are vague and similar to common puberty problems. However, after a few months, the picture changes, and the pathology becomes more distinct.

It is believed that schizophrenia is always manifested by delusions or hallucinations, but in reality early signs schizophrenia can be very diverse: from obsessions, anxiety disorders to emotional impoverishment, etc.

Signs of a mental disorder in school-age children and adolescents:

The child's warm feelings towards parents weaken, the personality changes. There is groundless aggression, anger, irritation, although relationships with peers may remain the same.
Initial symptoms can be expressed in the form of a loss of former interests and hobbies, while new ones do not appear. Such children may wander aimlessly down the street or loaf without leaving the house.
In parallel, the lower instincts are weakened. Patients lose interest in food. They don't feel hungry and may skip meals. In addition, teenagers become sloppy, forget to change dirty things.

A characteristic sign of pathology is a sharp decrease in academic performance and loss of interest in school life, unmotivated aggression and personality change. As the disease progresses, the symptoms become more pronounced, and the specialist will be able to easily recognize the signs of schizophrenia.

Psychosomatic disorders

In adolescence, psychosomatic disorders often occur: pain in the abdomen or head, sleep disorders. These somatic problems are caused psychological reasons associated with age-related changes in organism.

stress and nervous tension, caused by school and family troubles, result in insomnia and bad feeling. The student has difficulty falling asleep in the evening or waking up too early in the morning. In addition, he may suffer from nightmares, enuresis, or sleepwalking. All of these disorders are indications for seeking medical attention.

Schoolchildren, both girls and boys, often suffer from persistent headaches. In girls, this is sometimes associated with certain period menstrual cycle. But mostly they arise without organic causes, as in respiratory diseases but caused by psychosomatic disorders.

These painful sensations are caused by an increase in muscle tone, and prevent the child from doing normal schoolwork and doing homework.

Examination of children up to 6 years

Evaluation is a more complex task than examining an adult patient. Toddlers lack the language and cognitive capacity to describe their emotions and feelings. Thus, the doctor should rely mainly only on the data of observation of the child by parents and caregivers.

The first signs of the disease in preschool children:

Nervous and mental disorders after 2 years arise due to the fact that the mother limits the independence of the child and overprotects him, continuing breast-feeding grown up baby. Such a child is shy, dependent on the mother, and often lags behind peers in the development of skills.
At the age of 3 years, mental disorders are expressed in increased fatigue, capriciousness, irritability, tearfulness, and speech disorders. If you suppress the sociability and activity of a three-year-old child, this can lead to isolation, autism, and future problems in interacting with peers.
Neurotic reactions in 4-year-old children are expressed in protest against the will of adults and hypertrophied stubbornness.
The reason for seeking help from a doctor about disorders in a 5-year-old baby is the occurrence of symptoms such as impoverishment vocabulary, loss of previously acquired skills, refusal of role-playing games and joint activities with peers.

When assessing the mental state of babies, we must not forget that they develop within the family framework, and this greatly affects the behavior of the child.

A child with a normal psyche, living in a family of alcoholics and periodically subjected to violence, at first glance, may have signs of mental disorders. Fortunately, in most cases, childhood mental disorders are mild and respond well to treatment. At severe forms pathology treatment is carried out by a qualified child psychiatrist.