Child and Adolescent Mental Health
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a brain-based, or neurodevelopmental, disorder. It is often first diagnosed in childhood.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. It is a form of self-starvation. Children and teens with this health problem have a distorted body image. They think they weigh too much.
Detailed information on the most common types of anxiety disorders, including panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobias
Autism spectrum disorder is a problem that affects a child's nervous system and growth and development. It often shows up during a child's first 3 years of life.
A child with a communication disorder has trouble communicating with others. They may not understand or make the sounds of speech. The child may also struggle with word choice, word order, or sentence structure.
Conduct disorder is a type of behavior disorder. It’s when a child has antisocial behavior. They may disregard basic social standards and rules.
Detailed information on developmental disorders in children
A psychiatric evaluation looks at the child's behaviors, when those behaviors happen, and what impact those behaviors have on school, family, and other relationships.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental health problem. A child with GAD has a lot of worry and fear that seems to have no real cause.
Detailed information on child and adolescent mental health disorders
A learning disorder is when a child has trouble learning in certain school subjects. Your child may have problems with reading, math, or writing. Here's what you need to know, and how to help.
Major depression goes beyond the day's normal ups and downs. It involves a teen's body, mood, and thoughts. It can affect and disrupt eating, sleeping, or thinking patterns.
Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) is a type of behavior disorder. It is mostly diagnosed in childhood. Children with ODD are uncooperative, defiant, and hostile toward peers, parents, teachers, and other authority figures.
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health problem. A child with PTSD has constant, scary thoughts and memories of a past event. The child finds the event terrifying, either physically or emotionally.
Schizophrenia is a serious mental illness. It is a long-lasting and disabling problem of the brain. A child with this disorder has unusual behavior and strange feelings.
Learn details about separation anxiety disorder in children, including causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Detailed information on child and adolescent mental health disorders
Suicide is when a teen causes his or her own death on purpose. Before trying to take his or her own life, a teen may have thoughts of wanting to die. Read on to learn how to recognize the warning signs, and how to get your teen help.
Team members may include a child and adolescent psychiatrist, a psychologist, a social worker, and a psychiatric nurse. Read on to learn more.
Tourette disorder (TD) is a neurological disorder that causes repeated tics. Tics are sudden, uncontrolled vocal sounds or muscle jerks. Symptoms of TD often begin between ages 5 and 10. They usually start with mild, simple tics of the face, head, or arms.
Common symptoms of a potential emotional, behavioral, or developmental problem include poor grades in school, withdrawal from friends and family, and insomnia.
An adjustment disorder is an unhealthy emotional or behavioral reaction to a stressful event or change in a person's life. The response happens within 3 months of the stressful event.
Detailed information on behavior problems in adolescents, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and oppositional defiant disorder
Persistent depressive disorder is a type of depression. A child with this disorder has a low, sad, or irritable mood for at least 1 year.
Detailed information on adolescents and eating disorders, including anorexia, bulimia, and obesity
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder. A child with OCD has obsessive thoughts that are not wanted. The thoughts are linked to fears, such as touching dirty objects.
Anyone can feel sad or depressed at times. But mood disorders are more intense. They are harder to handle than normal feelings of sadness. Read on to learn more about these types of disorders in teens.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder. A child with bulimia overeats or binges uncontrollably. This overeating may be followed by self-induced throwing up (purging).
Bipolar disorder is a type of depression. A teen with bipolar disorder often has extreme mood swings. These mood swings go beyond the day's normal ups and downs.