Mental disorders in children 4 years old symptoms. Features and methods of treatment of mental disorders in children. Diagnosis and treatment

Postpone a visit to a psychiatrist. They are afraid of registering the child. As a result, the disease is neglected, and signs of 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.

The reasons

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

  1. 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.
  2. Head trauma. Brain damage due to injury or impact may have long-term effects. Often, mental disorders in children appear years after the traumatization.
  3. Infections. Children who have had meningitis often suffer from mental disorders. On state nervous system the child may also be affected by infections carried by the mother during pregnancy.
  4. 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.
  5. 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 backdrop of constant emotional stress children develop mental disorders. There is anxiety, nervousness, tearfulness or excessive isolation. This is a vivid example of how parents provoke mental disorders in children.
  6. 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);
  • 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

The peak of 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 young children (under 1 year) are extremely rare. The baby needs to have his natural needs (for food, sleep) 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. These are pretty dangerous symptoms. mental disorders in children up to school age. Without treatment, such pathologies steadily progress.

In school-age children, psychogenic disorders are most often associated with learning. 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 in the body. 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? After all, often parents take the initial signs of pathology for bad behavior. Should be alarming the following symptoms:

  1. Cruel behavior. If a preschool child tortures animals, then most often he does not understand that he is hurting a living being. In this case, you can limit yourself to educational methods. However, if such behavior is regularly observed in a student, then this is not normal. Often such children show cruelty not only towards others, but also towards themselves. A sign of a mental disorder in school-age children is the desire to harm themselves.
  2. Constant refusal to eat. This symptom is usually observed in girls aged 12-17 years. The teenager is dissatisfied with his figure and unreasonably believes that he is overweight. This may be the result of low self-esteem or the careless words of others. The girl deliberately starves or sits on overly strict diets. This can result in severe exhaustion.
  3. Panic. Children develop strange phobias. The feeling of fear is inherent in every person, but in this case it is not substantiated. If a child is afraid of heights, standing on a balcony, then this does not indicate pathology. With such a phobia, you can cope with psychological methods. But if this fear manifests itself when the child is in an apartment on a high floor, then this is already an abnormal phenomenon. Such panic attacks significantly complicate the lives of children.
  4. Depression. Any child can have a bad mood associated with external circumstances. But if depression occurs for no reason and lasts more than 2 weeks, then parents should be wary. It is urgent to show the child to a psychiatrist. Protracted depression often causes suicide in adolescents.
  5. Mood swings. Normally, the mood of the child can change depending on the circumstances. However, some children have bouts of unbridled amusement, which are quickly replaced by periods of intense sadness and tearfulness. Mood swings are not associated with any external causes, they occur spontaneously and suddenly. This is a sign of pathology.
  6. Abrupt change in behavior. This symptom most often manifests itself during puberty. A previously calm and friendly teenager may show unreasonable aggression. Or a talkative and sociable child withdraws into himself and is constantly silent. Parents often attribute such changes to the difficulties of adolescence, but this can also be a sign of pathology.
  7. Hyperactivity. Many children are very active. However, there are times when a child is excessively restless, his attention constantly switches from one object to another. He cannot engage in the same type of activity for a long time and quickly gets tired even from outdoor games. Such children always have great difficulties in learning due to restlessness.

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. A mild degree of 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. With a mild degree of oligophrenia, a child can be taught self-service 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 has no obvious signs mental retardation, but its 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. It is impossible to cure such a violation with medical methods. 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 medical and pedagogical methods, it is possible to develop speech and communication skills in a child.

ADHD

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

  • restlessness;
  • difficulty concentrating;
  • increased distractibility;
  • high mobility;
  • intemperance;
  • impulsiveness;
  • excessive talkativeness.

Hyperactive children have normal intelligence. But due to restlessness and inattention, they, as a rule, study poorly. If left untreated in childhood, some ADHD symptoms may persist into adulthood. Mature people with hyperactivity are prone 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 leads to a drop in weight to a critical level and serious problems with physical health.

With bulimia, a child has a pathologically increased appetite. Teenager absorbs great amount 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

Schizophrenia is rare in childhood. 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 is possible to keep the patient in remission for a long time. 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. Are used the following ways therapy:

  1. 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.
  2. Medical treatment. In more complex cases, medication is needed. With increased aggressiveness, mood swings, depression, antidepressants, antipsychotics and sedatives are indicated. For developmental delay, a psychiatrist may recommend nootropic drugs. When treating children, doctors try to select the most gentle drugs in minimal doses.
  3. Hospital treatment. In very severe cases, treatment in a children's psychiatric hospital may be required. 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.

The concept of a mental disorder in children can be quite difficult to explain, not to say that it needs to be defined, especially on your own. The knowledge of parents, as a rule, is not enough for this. As a result, many children who could benefit from treatment do not receive the care they need. This article will help parents learn to recognize the warning signs of mental illness in children and highlight some of the options for help.

"Warning also worsens a child's success in school or teachers' harshness to his behavior," adds the psychologist. In the Czech education of children with mental disorders, there is still no protection, few people are interested in children with mental disabilities with a disease other than autism, and tens of thousands of children are left without the necessary psychiatric care. These are just some of the problems that, according to child psychiatrist Jaroslav Matys, Czech pediatric psychiatry is plagued with. The Health Diary talked to him about autism, psychiatric reform, and educational issues.

Why is it difficult for parents to determine the state of mind of their child?

Unfortunately, many adults are unaware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness in children. Even if parents know the basic principles of recognizing major mental disorders, they often find it difficult to distinguish between mild signs of abnormality and normal behavior in children. And a child sometimes lacks the vocabulary or intellectual baggage to explain their problems verbally.

There is a lot of talk about autism these days. Who and how is allowed to keep their diagnosis in order to be recognized by the insurance company? Clinical diagnoses are the responsibility of the physician and no one else. Considering the preamble of the World Health Organization, for which the classification of diseases is intended, it is only health. Performed by professionals who are trained and able to diagnose. Diagnosis of diabetes cannot be determined by a biochemist in a laboratory. He must be a clinician who also belongs to psychiatry.

However, this is an exception, since we use not only medical methods, i.e. instruments and laboratories, but also psychological methods. For us, key clinical psychologists are children, who must be trained and certified. Everything else is a consulting service. That's why there was a clash with education. Here, a draft law was prepared on special pedagogical centers, where psychologists without psychological education in clinical psychology and not at all in medicine wanted to take upon themselves the right to determine and control the diagnosis of psychiatrists.

Concerns about stereotyping associated with mental illness, the cost of using certain medicines, as well as - logistical complexity possible treatment, often postpone the timing of therapy, or force parents to explain the condition of their child with some simple and temporary phenomenon. However, a psychopathological disorder that begins its development will not be able to restrain anything, except for the correct, and most importantly, timely treatment.

Finally, on the basis of pressure and gratitude to the deputies, he dropped out. Education here is not for treatment and diagnosis, but for education. Diagnostics are also provided by, for example, the National Autism Institute, which, according to its director, is a social institution.

This is not a medical facility, so it is not eligible to operate as a clinical workplace. They are not regulated by the law on granting medical services and healthcare professionals, so they are not subject to punishment within the meaning of these laws - there is no criminal liability for false diagnosis and misconduct. This, however, would mean that they would have to hire a child psychiatrist, make a work order as a medical facility, prove that they have the necessary staffing and equipment, and proceed to the region selection procedure.

The concept of mental disorder, its manifestation in children

Children may suffer from the same mental illnesses as adults, but they manifest them in different ways. For example, depressed children often show more signs of irritability than adults, who tend to be more sad.

Children most often suffer from a number of diseases, including acute or chronic mental disorders:

However, a number of associations are authorized to give a clinical diagnosis to a non-medical facility for which they pay, and then follow-up services for this type of "diagnosis". This is a conflict of interest and a violation of the law. Today, they are also at the highest level to see if they are allowed to make recommendations to schools as a specialized pedagogical center. They do not have registration or receipt, because education in the Kyrgyz Republic, including consulting services, is free.

So is diagnosing an autism diagnosis in the Czech Republic according to international standards? We follow international standards that we cannot leave behind. The standards have legal significance for courts and appraisers. It's complicated, it's part of the certification, and the doctor should know this. There have been suggestions from parent organizations that only a clinical psychologist can do this. Then let's say that the psychiatrist is moving to the philosophy department, we are taking medication, and the clinical psychologist will be dealing with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.

Children who suffer from anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia, and generalized anxiety disorder show vivid signs of anxiety, which is constant problem that interferes with their daily activities.

There is parental pressure, why this cannot be - until something passes, and someone dies. When parents suspect autism in a child, where to diagnose and what to look for? They should go straight to the doctor and not to advise. Parents can also turn to a child psychologist - who doesn't matter once, because we work together and share the news.

In differential diagnosis, we work with neurologists to rule out certain processes in the brain, with genetics, and often with speech therapists. How does the pediatrician have an indispensable role in diagnosis? Autism spectrum disorder is one of the most difficult diagnoses in psychiatry. It's not that hard to identify the symptoms that fall into the circle of autism. The most difficult is the differential diagnosis from other mental disorders that have similar symptoms but in a different final picture.

Sometimes anxiety is a traditional part of every child's experience, often moving from one developmental stage to another. However, when stress takes an active position, it becomes difficult for the child. It is in such cases that symptomatic treatment is indicated.

  • Attention deficit or hyperactivity.

This disorder typically includes three categories of symptoms: difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Some children with this pathology have symptoms of all categories, while others may have only one symptom.

There are at least 15-20 other mental disorders that can mimic it. In addition, the psychiatrist must distinguish between mental disorders such as brain, metabolism or endocrine disorder or intoxication. In addition, the psychiatrist must work with other specialists, such as cardiology, neurology or neurosurgery, to know that if something is happening in the brain, whether it is the result of an operation or a developmental issue. When drugs are given, we must agree with other experts because we are responsible for the patient.

This pathology is a serious developmental disorder that manifests itself in early childhood - usually before the age of 3 years. Although the symptoms and their severity are prone to variability, the disorder always affects the child's ability to communicate and interact with others.

  • Eating Disorders.

Eating disorders - such as anorexia, and gluttony - are serious enough diseases that threaten the life of a child. Children can become so preoccupied with food and their own weight that it prevents them from focusing on something else.

Both child and adult psychiatrists must be able to distinguish between other comorbid conditions. The person who was not in medicine could not know this. If you learn the algorithm for one diagnosis but don't know the others, you can't tell the difference between the diagnoses. When such a center has only autism, social phobia turns into Asperger's. Some specific intelligence studies are missing altogether, while two-thirds of children lag behind. But they cannot distinguish between delay, autism, speech development disorders, anxiety, which we can effectively treat today, or hyperactivity.

  • Mood disorders.

Mood disorders such as depression and can lead to persistent feelings of sadness stabilizing or mood swings much more severe than the normal variability common in many people.

  • Schizophrenia.

This chronic mental illness causes the child to lose touch with reality. Schizophrenia often appears in late adolescence, from about 20 years of age.

Determining a diagnosis based on confirmation of the symptoms of a single diagnosis is simply pointless and dangerous to the patient. If you first asked the question about relevance to insurance companies, this is at first glance. It is important that in the legislation on diagnosis, apart from doctors, there are no doctors. It is impossible that, without consultation, a counseling psychologist in a non-medical institution would allow medical diagnosis. These are organizations registered as social and educational services. But when people are stressed, they pay, although if a psychiatrist does the same thing, it is covered by the national health insurance.

Depending on the condition of the child, illnesses can be classified as temporary or permanent mental disorders.

The main signs of mental illness in children

Some markers that a child may have mental health problems are:

What awaits such a diagnosis? To ensure patient safety, a complete physical examination should be performed to rule out other causes. Autism is a neurological disorder, but there is a percentage that is caused by disorders other than just brain development. This is a comorbidity that needs to be treated. There are myths, even found in government office material, that if autism is diagnosed on time, there is no need for medication. Clearly, an autism drug helps correct mental disorders that exacerbate autism and sociability.

Mood changes. Attention should be paid to the dominant signs of sadness or longing that last for at least, two weeks, or severe mood swings that cause relationship problems at home or school.

Too strong emotions. Sharp emotions of overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes combined with tachycardia or rapid breathing, are a serious reason to pay attention to your child.

With medicines, children are better educated and educated. How do we have multidisciplinary teams in the Czech Republic where more experience will be involved in diagnostics? We have no problem with medical care in neurology, pediatrics and other doctors. The problem is related to other professions that work with children. We study and help civil associations. If everything remained in special educational centers, the money would be paid to autistic people. There we have to establish a border, and this is also stagnation, which is not easy.

As a result, at the age of 18, he cannot do this, because he could not, but he did not teach. But he won't reach disability. So there must be social services that they try to train in, and when it really doesn't, there are other supportive things. Participation should be mandatory, we not only want it - we don't want it. If you don't, you won't benefit. Only when we discover that this is indeed the case should they be entitled to them.

Uncharacteristic behavior. This may include abrupt changes in behavior or self-esteem, as well as dangerous or out of control actions. Frequent fights with the use of third-party objects, a strong desire to harm others, are also warning signs.

Difficulty of concentration. A characteristic manifestation of such signs is very clearly visible at the time of preparing homework. It is also worth paying attention to teachers' complaints and current school performance.

Is there any way in the Czech Republic that screening for Autism Spectrum Disorders can be done by practitioners as part of preventive check-ups? We work with children and teenagers. Early diagnosis is important, but this may not be done until the fourth or fifth year, with severe autism a little earlier. Screening methods in the world are the methodology for the Czech Republic and the conditions for the stay of doctors and adolescents in the Czech Republic for children and adolescents, which must be within two months.

These are screening methods that select certain symptoms, but because autism is a developmental disorder, brain development in autism may not necessarily occur. The child should then see the child with a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist, but the screening method is not mandatory for a definitive diagnosis.

Unexplained weight loss. Sudden loss of appetite frequent vomiting or the use of laxatives may indicate an eating disorder;

physical symptoms. Compared to adults, children with mental health problems may often complain of headaches and stomachaches rather than sadness or anxiety.

Is it possible to recognize autism through devices? This is still ten or twenty years before standardized brain imaging in children with autism. Today we know where the problems are. But when you now do brain imaging of autism and schizophrenia, they are very similar in comparison, they are not specific. The brain is so complex that it cannot yet be made. Therefore, in autism and psychiatry, the clinical picture decides - how the patient works, how he looks, what he does, how he thinks and how he behaves.

Any scale may indicate suspicion, but the clinical picture decides. So you can't rely on the scales? Scales are optional and parents sometimes confuse this because they think that when the scale comes out, it is given. In addition, he is often one of the autistic parents - and do you think that the father with autism or Asperger sees his son's social blindness? He doesn't write it and the whole range is useless - it's a false negative. In other cases, the parents of the disease learn today, even for financial reasons, or are motivated to apologize for their child's aggression and even criminal behavior, and then they say that the learned phrases are from a book or the Internet.

Physical damage. Sometimes a mental health condition leads to self-injury, also called self-harm. Children often choose far inhumane ways for these purposes - they often cut themselves or set themselves on fire. These children also often develop suicidal thoughts and attempts to actually commit suicide.

Substance abuse. Some children use drugs or alcohol to try to cope with their feelings.

Actions of parents in case of suspected mental disorders in a child

If parents are truly concerned about their child's mental health, they should see a specialist as soon as possible.

The physician should describe the present behavior in detail, emphasizing the most striking inconsistencies with the earlier period. For more information, before visiting a doctor, it is recommended to speak with school teachers, class teacher, close friends or other persons who spend some time with the child. As a rule, this approach helps a lot to decide and discover something new, something that the child will never show at home. It must be remembered that there should not be any secrets from the doctor. And yet - there is no panacea in the form of pills for.

General actions of specialists

Mental health in children is diagnosed and treated on the basis of signs and symptoms, taking into account the impact of psychological or mental disorders on everyday life child. This approach also allows you to determine the types of mental disorders of the child. There are no simple, unique, or 100% guaranteed positive result tests. In order to make a diagnosis, the doctor may recommend the presence of related specialists, for example, a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse, mental health educators, or behavioral therapist.

The doctor or other professionals will work with the child, usually on an individual basis, to determine first whether or not the child actually has an abnormal mental health condition based on the diagnostic criteria. For comparison, a special database of children's psychological and mental symptoms, which are used by specialists around the world, is used.

In addition, the doctor or other mental health care provider will look for other possible explanations for the child's behavior, such as a history of previous illness or injury, including family history.

It is worth noting that diagnosing childhood mental disorders can be quite difficult, since it can be a serious problem for children to express their emotions and feelings correctly. Moreover, this quality always fluctuates from child to child - there are no identical children in this regard. Despite these problems, accurate diagnosis is an integral part of correct, effective treatment.

General therapeutic approaches

Common treatment options for children who have mental health problems include:

  • Psychotherapy.

Psychotherapy, also known as "talk therapy" or behavior therapy, is a treatment for many mental health problems. Speaking with a psychologist, while showing emotions and feelings, the child allows you to look into the very depths of his experiences. During psychotherapy, children themselves learn a lot about their condition, mood, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Psychotherapy can help a child learn to respond to difficult situations against the backdrop of a healthy overcoming of problematic barriers.

  • pharmacological therapy.
  • A combination of approaches.

In the process of searching for problems and their solutions, the specialists themselves will offer the necessary and most effective treatment option. In some cases, psychotherapy sessions will be quite enough, in others, medications will be indispensable.

It should be noted that acute mental disorders are always stopped easier than chronic ones.

Help from parents

At such moments, the child needs the support of the parents more than ever. Children with mental health diagnoses, in fact, like their parents, usually experience feelings of helplessness, anger and frustration. Ask your child's primary care physician for advice on how to change the way you interact with your son or daughter and how to deal with difficult behavior.

Look for ways to relax and have fun with your child. Praise his strengths and abilities. Explore new techniques that can help you understand how to calmly respond to stressful situations.

Family counseling or support groups can be a great help in treating childhood psychiatric disorders. This approach is very important for parents and children. This will help you understand your child's illness, how they feel, and what can be done together to provide the best possible care and support.

To help your child succeed in school, keep your child's teachers and school administrators informed about your child's mental health. Unfortunately, in some cases, it may be necessary to change the educational institution to a school whose curriculum is designed for children with mental problems.

If you're concerned about your child's mental health, seek professional advice. Nobody can make the decision for you. Do not avoid help because of your shame or fear. With the right support, you can learn the truth about whether your child has a disability and be able to explore treatment options, thereby ensuring that your child continues to have a decent quality of life.

Mental disorders in children are very common, and their number is increasing every year. According to statistics, today every fifth child has developmental problems of varying degrees. The danger of such diseases is that often parents do not recognize the symptoms in time and do not attach special significance the condition of children, attributing everything to a bad character or age. But it is important to know that mental disorders do not go away with age. Most of them require complex specialized treatment. A serious approach and timely recognition of the problem is a chance to return the child to full mental health.

What are the features of mental disorders in children?

Mental disorders in children develop in most cases in the first months of a baby's life, but can also appear at an older age. They represent inferiority and malfunctions of the psyche and, accordingly, affect the overall development of the child.

Mental disorders, depending on the age and stage of the disease, can manifest themselves in different forms. In total, physicians distinguish four general groups:

  • or oligophrenia - it is characterized by a low level of intelligence, imagination, memory and attention;
  • Mental retardation - first makes itself felt about a year old, it is characterized by problems with speech, motor skills, memory;
  • - this syndrome causes hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattention, while there is a decrease in the level of intelligence;
  • Autism is a condition in which a child's ability to communicate and socialize is impaired.

Sometimes parents cheat negative manifestations baby for age and hope that over time it will pass. However, mental disorders need to be treated. With age, the disease only worsens and it is already more difficult to find the right and effective therapeutic methods. And no matter how difficult it is to admit to parents that their baby has mental disabilities, you need to seek help from a psychotherapist.

Factors provoking mental disorders

Mental disorders arise under the influence of several factors. Moreover, many of their forms develop even in the prenatal period. There are several key reasons:

  • Genetic predisposition - hereditary transmission of mental disorders, occurs in 40% of cases;
  • Features of education - the wrong choice of methods of education or its absence;
  • Infectious diseases affecting the brain and central nervous system;
  • Birth and postpartum head injuries of the baby;
  • Dysfunction of the metabolic system;
  • strong or overexerted;
  • Low level of intelligence;
  • Unfavorable situation in the family;

Symptoms and signs of mental disorders in children

The first signs of diseases manifest themselves in different ways, depending on the age of the child. At home, parents may notice the following changes, which may symbolize a mental breakdown:

  • A bad mood in a child, you should pay attention if it dominates for several weeks without a specific reason;
  • Frequent mood swings;
  • Inattention and difficulty concentrating;
  • Nervousness, aggressiveness;
  • Constant and feeling of threat;
  • Changes in the child's behavior - the child begins to do dangerous things and becomes uncontrollable;
  • A constant desire to draw our attention to ourselves or, conversely, hide from others;
  • Loss of appetite and, accordingly, significant weight loss;
  • Nausea and vomiting;
  • Headaches and causeless abdominal pain;
  • Talking to yourself or an imaginary friend;
  • Actions that cause harm to yourself and others;
  • Decreased interest in favorite things and activities;
  • The use of alcohol and drugs.

These signs can be noticed on your own. But doctors diagnose mental disorders based not only on these, but also on other medical symptoms:

  • Tachycardia and rapid breathing;
  • Changes in the organic structure of the blood;
  • Changes in the structure of brain cells;
  • Disorders of the digestive system;
  • Low IQ;
  • Physical underdevelopment;
  • Special form.

Such diseases usually cause several symptoms, so observation alone is not enough to confirm the diagnosis, a physical examination is needed.

Diagnosis and treatment

To choose the right therapeutic method, you need to go through a full diagnosis. It goes like this:

  • Study and analysis of overt symptoms;
  • Laboratory examination of blood, urine;
  • MRI examination of the cerebral cortex;
  • Conducting testing.

To correctly approach the treatment, it is necessary to examine the child by several specialists: a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist, a neuropathologist. Moreover, examinations must be taken by each specialist in turn: each of the doctors can thus determine the symptoms that characterize his area.

It is important to remember that drug therapy cannot completely cure mental disorders. To help the child and restore full mental health, you need to use a set of procedures and methods.

There are several ways to deal with this problem:

  • Drug therapy. It consists in taking antidepressants, tranquilizers, sedatives, and general strengthening vitamin products. The choice of the drug lies with the doctor, he prescribes a special remedy that corresponds to the age and form of development of the disorder.
  • Psychotherapy. In psychotherapy, there are many methods to overcome mental disorders in children. It all depends on the age and stage of neglect of the process. Individual conversational therapy, or group therapy, with the appropriate selection of children is considered very effective. Psychotherapy is considered the most effective treatment for this kind of disease.
  • Family therapy. The family is very important for the formation of the psyche of the baby, it is here that the first concepts are laid. Therefore, with mental disorders, family members should achieve maximum interaction with the baby, help him achieve something, constantly talk with him, do exercises together.
  • Complex therapy. It involves combining drug treatment with another type of therapy. It is necessary when acute forms disorders, when psychological exercises alone are not enough.

The sooner parents identify mental problems in their baby and take him to the doctor, the more likely he is to return full image life. The main rule is to seek help from a specialist in order to avoid unpleasant consequences.

The concept of a mental disorder in children can be quite difficult to explain, not to say that it needs to be defined, especially on your own. The knowledge of parents, as a rule, is not enough for this. As a result, many children who could benefit from treatment do not receive the care they need. This article will help parents learn to recognize the warning signs of mental illness in children and highlight some of the options for help.

Why is it difficult for parents to determine the state of mind of their child?

Unfortunately, many adults are unaware of the signs and symptoms of mental illness in children. Even if parents know the basic principles of recognizing major mental disorders, they often find it difficult to distinguish between mild signs of abnormality and normal behavior in children. And a child sometimes lacks the vocabulary or intellectual baggage to explain their problems verbally.

Concerns about stereotypes associated with mental illness, the cost of using certain medications, and the logistical complexity of possible treatment often delay therapy or force parents to attribute their child's condition to some simple and temporary phenomenon. However, a psychopathological disorder that begins its development will not be able to restrain anything, except for the correct, and most importantly, timely treatment.

The concept of mental disorder, its manifestation in children

Children may suffer from the same mental illnesses as adults, but they manifest them in different ways. For example, depressed children often show more signs of irritability than adults, who tend to be more sad.

Children most often suffer from a number of diseases, including acute or chronic mental disorders:

Children suffering from anxiety disorders such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, social phobia and generalized anxiety disorder show vivid signs of anxiety, which is a constant problem that interferes with their daily activities.

Sometimes anxiety is a traditional part of every child's experience, often moving from one developmental stage to another. However, when stress takes an active position, it becomes difficult for the child. It is in such cases that symptomatic treatment is indicated.

  • Attention deficit or hyperactivity.
  • This disorder typically includes three categories of symptoms: difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity, and impulsive behavior. Some children with this pathology have symptoms of all categories, while others may have only one symptom.

    This pathology is a serious developmental disorder that manifests itself in early childhood - usually before the age of 3 years. Although the symptoms and their severity are prone to variability, the disorder always affects the child's ability to communicate and interact with others.

    Eating disorders - such as anorexia, bulimia and gluttony - are serious enough diseases that threaten the life of a child. Children can become so preoccupied with food and their own weight that it prevents them from focusing on something else.

    Mood disorders such as depression and bipolar disorder can lead to stabilizing persistent feelings of sadness or mood swings far more severe than the normal volatility common to many people.

    This chronic mental illness causes the child to lose touch with reality. Schizophrenia often appears in late adolescence, from about 20 years of age.

    Depending on the condition of the child, illnesses can be classified as temporary or permanent mental disorders.

    The main signs of mental illness in children

    Some markers that a child may have mental health problems are:

    Mood changes. Look out for dominant signs of sadness or longing that last at least two weeks, or severe mood swings that cause relationship problems at home or school.

    Too strong emotions. Sharp emotions of overwhelming fear for no reason, sometimes combined with tachycardia or rapid breathing, are a serious reason to pay attention to your child.

    Uncharacteristic behavior. This may include abrupt changes in behavior or self-esteem, as well as dangerous or out of control actions. Frequent fights with the use of third-party objects, a strong desire to harm others, are also warning signs.

    Difficulty of concentration. A characteristic manifestation of such signs is very clearly visible at the time of preparing homework. It is also worth paying attention to teachers' complaints and current school performance.

    Unexplained weight loss. Sudden loss of appetite, frequent vomiting, or use of laxatives may indicate an eating disorder;

    physical symptoms. Compared to adults, children with mental health problems may often complain of headaches and stomachaches rather than sadness or anxiety.

    Physical damage. Sometimes a mental health condition leads to self-injury, also called self-harm. Children often choose far inhumane ways for these purposes - they often cut themselves or set themselves on fire. These children also often develop suicidal thoughts and attempts to actually commit suicide.

    Substance abuse. Some children use drugs or alcohol to try to cope with their feelings.

    Actions of parents in case of suspected mental disorders in a child

    If parents are truly concerned about their child's mental health, they should see a specialist as soon as possible.

    The physician should describe the present behavior in detail, emphasizing the most striking inconsistencies with the earlier period. For more information, it is recommended that you talk to school teachers, the form teacher, close friends or other people who spend some time with your child for a long time before visiting the doctor. As a rule, this approach helps a lot to decide and discover something new, something that the child will never show at home. It must be remembered that there should not be any secrets from the doctor. And yet - there is no panacea in the form of pills for mental disorders.

    General actions of specialists

    Mental health in children is diagnosed and treated on the basis of signs and symptoms, taking into account the impact of psychological or mental disorders on the child's daily life. This approach also allows you to determine the types of mental disorders of the child. There are no simple, unique, or 100% guaranteed positive tests. In order to make a diagnosis, the physician may recommend the presence of allied professionals, such as a psychiatrist, psychologist, social worker, psychiatric nurse, mental health educator, or behavioral therapist.

    The doctor or other professionals will work with the child, usually on an individual basis, to determine first whether or not the child actually has an abnormal mental health condition based on the diagnostic criteria. For comparison, a special database of children's psychological and mental symptoms, which are used by specialists around the world, is used.

    In addition, the doctor or other mental health care provider will look for other possible explanations for the child's behavior, such as a history of previous illness or injury, including family history.

    It is worth noting that diagnosing childhood mental disorders can be quite difficult, since it can be a serious problem for children to express their emotions and feelings correctly. Moreover, this quality always fluctuates from child to child - there are no identical children in this regard. Despite these problems, an accurate diagnosis is an essential part of correct, effective treatment.

    General therapeutic approaches

    Common treatment options for children who have mental health problems include:

    Psychotherapy, also known as "talk therapy" or behavior therapy, is a treatment for many mental health problems. Speaking with a psychologist, while showing emotions and feelings, the child allows you to look into the very depths of his experiences. During psychotherapy, children themselves learn a lot about their condition, mood, feelings, thoughts and behavior. Psychotherapy can help a child learn to respond to difficult situations while healthyly overcoming problematic barriers.

    In the process of searching for problems and their solutions, the specialists themselves will offer the necessary and most effective treatment option. In some cases, psychotherapy sessions will be quite enough, in others, medications will be indispensable.

    It should be noted that acute mental disorders are always stopped easier than chronic ones.

    Help from parents

    At such moments, the child needs the support of the parents more than ever. Children with mental health diagnoses, in fact, like their parents, usually experience feelings of helplessness, anger and frustration. Ask your child's primary care physician for advice on how to change the way you interact with your son or daughter and how to deal with difficult behavior.

    Look for ways to relax and have fun with your child. Praise his strengths and abilities. Explore new stress management techniques that can help you understand how to calmly respond to stressful situations.

    Family counseling or support groups can be a great help in treating childhood psychiatric disorders. This approach is very important for parents and children. This will help you understand your child's illness, how they feel, and what can be done together to provide the best possible care and support.

    To help your child succeed in school, keep your child's teachers and school administrators informed about your child's mental health. Unfortunately, in some cases, it may be necessary to change the educational institution to a school whose curriculum is designed for children with mental problems.

    If you're concerned about your child's mental health, seek professional advice. Nobody can make the decision for you. Do not avoid help because of your shame or fear. With the right support, you can learn the truth about whether your child has a disability and be able to explore treatment options, thereby ensuring that your child continues to have a decent quality of life.

    Mental disorders in children: symptoms

    Due to special factors, whether it is a difficult atmosphere in the family, a genetic predisposition or a traumatic brain injury, various violations psyche. When a child is born, it is impossible to understand whether he is mentally healthy or not. Physically, these children are no different. Violations appear later.

    Mental disorders in children are divided into 4 large classes:

    1) Mental retardation;

    2) developmental delays;

    3) Attention deficit disorder;

    4) Autism in early childhood.

    Mental retardation. developmental delay

    The first type of mental disorder in children is mental retardation or oligophrenia. The psyche of the child is underdeveloped, there is an intellectual defect. Symptoms:

    • Violation of perception, voluntary attention.
    • Vocabulary is narrowed, speech is simplified and defective.
    • Children are driven by the environment, not by their motivations and desires.
    • There are several stages of development of mental retardation depending on the IQ: mild, moderate, severe and deep. Basically, they differ only in the severity of the symptoms.

      The causes of such a mental disorder are a pathology of the chromosome set, or trauma before birth, during childbirth, or at the beginning of life. Maybe because the mother drank alcohol during pregnancy, smoked. The cause of mental retardation can also be an infection, falls and injuries to the mother, difficult childbirth.

      Developmental delays (ZPR) are expressed in violations of cognitive activity, immaturity of the personality in comparison with healthy peers and in the slow pace of development of the psyche. Types of ZPR:

      1) Mentally infantilism. The psyche is underdeveloped, behavior is guided by emotions and games, the will is weak;

      2) Delays in the development of speech, reading, counting;

      3) Other violations.

      The child lags behind his peers, assimilating information more slowly. ZPR can be adjusted, the most important thing is that teachers and educators know about the problem. A delayed child needs more time to learn something, however, with the right approach, it is possible.

      Attention Deficit Syndrome. Autism

      Mental disorders in children can take the form of attention deficit disorder. This syndrome is expressed in the fact that the child concentrates very poorly on the task, cannot force himself to do one thing for a long time and to the end. Often this syndrome is accompanied by hyperreactivity.

    • The child does not sit still, constantly wants to run somewhere or start doing something else, is easily distracted.
    • If he's playing at something, he can't wait for his turn to come. Can only play active games.
    • He talks a lot, but never listens to what they say to him. Moves a lot.
    • Heredity.
    • Trauma during childbirth.
    • Infection or virus, drinking alcohol while carrying a child.
    • There are various ways to treat and correct this disease. You can treat with medication, you can psychologically - by teaching child to cope with their impulses.

      Autism in early childhood is divided into the following types:

      Autism, in which the child is not able to contact other children and adults, never makes eye contact and tries not to touch people;

      Stereotypes in behavior when a child protests against the most insignificant changes in his life and the world around him;

      Violation of the development of speech. He needs speech not for communication - the child can speak well and correctly, but cannot communicate.

      There are other disorders that children of different ages can be affected by. For example, schizophrenia, manic states, Turret cider and many others. However, they are also found in adults. The disorders listed above are typical for childhood.

      Classification of mental illness

      In domestic psychiatry, there is traditionally an idea of ​​the primary importance of distinguishing various nosological forms of mental pathology. This concept is based on

      www.psyportal.net

      Nervous disorders in children 2 3 years old

      Childhood diseases

      At the appointment with a psychotherapist

      Psychotherapist, psychiatrist. The decision to consult a child with these specialists, as a rule, is not easy for parents to make. To go for it means to acknowledge the suspicion that the child has neuropsychiatric disorders, admit that he is “nervous”, “abnormal”, “defective”, “crazy”. Many are afraid of “registration” and the imaginary and really possible restrictions on the forms of education and choice of profession associated with this. In this regard, parents often try not to notice the peculiarities of development, behavior, oddities, which are often manifestations of the disease. If the suspicion that the child has neuropsychiatric disorders still appears, then, as a rule, attempts are first made to treat him with some kind of “home remedies”. These can either be medicines recommended by someone you know, or activities read in numerous "healing" manuals.

      Convinced of the futility of attempts to improve the child's condition, parents finally decide to seek help, but often not to a doctor, but to acquaintances, healers, sorcerers, psychics, "grandmothers", in which there is now no shortage: many newspapers print a lot of offers of this kind of services. Unfortunately, this often leads to sad consequences.

      In the case when the child is really sick, he eventually still ends up at the reception of a specialist, but the disease may already be running. Turning to a psychotherapist or psychiatrist for the first time, parents, as a rule, try to do it informally, anonymously.

      Responsible parents should not hide from problems, be able to recognize early signs of neuropsychiatric disorders, consult a doctor in a timely manner and follow his recommendations. Each parent needs knowledge about measures to prevent deviations in the development of the child, about the causes neurotic disorders about the first signs of mental illness.

      Issues relating to the mental health of children are too serious. Experiments when solving them are unacceptable. It is better to consult a specialist and be happy to find out that you have “played it safe” and the child does not have neuropsychiatric disorders, get advice on their prevention, than to go to the doctor when it is no longer possible to ignore the manifestations of the disease, and hear: “Where were you before ?!"

      This section will discuss how to create favorable conditions for the development of his psyche, the formation of personality, how to prevent the occurrence of neuropsychiatric disorders, to identify their early signs in a timely manner, where and to whom it is better to turn.

      EARLY CHILDHOOD

      The most favorable conditions for the mental development of the personality of babies are situations in which the birth is planned and desired, and the relationship of their parents is stable and characterized by love and respect. It is unlikely that anyone will doubt this. Of course, children born in other conditions are not necessarily doomed to have neuropsychiatric disorders. Family, family relations, and specifics of upbringing are the most important, but by no means the only factors influencing the development of the child's psyche and personality. A child born in a conflict or incomplete family has many chances to develop normally and become a full-fledged personality. Only the conditions for this will be less favorable, and his parents, relatives, educators and teachers will have to spend much more effort on raising such a child.

      And, on the contrary, a child born in the most favorable family environment, under the influence of many factors, can be formed as a personality with deviations. To prevent this from happening, parents need to love and respect their children, follow the two golden rules.

      Demand from the child only what he can. In order to do this, it is necessary to study your child well, his capabilities and abilities. It is impossible to exhaust him with developing didactic games. You should humble your ambitions, rejoice if he masters new skills and abilities in a timely manner, and be wary if he is ahead of his peers in the development. Do not stop loving him, even if he did not live up to expectations.

      Meet the needs of the child. To fulfill this rule, you need to be very attentive to your child. It is important to understand that he needs not only to eat, drink, dress, be clean, study. It is necessary to remember the vital needs of the child in respect, in recognition of his personality, in affection, in getting an impression, in games, etc.

      If suddenly something is incomprehensible to you in the behavior of the child, in his communication, if family relations have reached an impasse, timely and qualified help from a psychologist, psychotherapist or psychiatrist can be very useful.

      Until relatively recently, it was believed that it makes sense for a psychiatrist, and even more so for a psychotherapist, to show children only after they are 3 years old. Before that, as many believe to this day, the child does not have a psyche. And if, nevertheless, there are obvious violations of the development, behavior of the baby, then pediatricians and neuropathologists will successfully cope with them. Unfortunately, even today one can still meet a child psychiatrist or psychotherapist who holds detailed views and refuses to accept small child("Come back after three years!"). This is not true. For more than ten years now, and even earlier abroad, a new branch of psychotherapy and psychiatry, called perinatal, has emerged. Turning to a perinatal psychologist, psychotherapist, a specialist in the so-called early intervention will help to solve many problems in a timely manner.

      A child psychiatrist, psychotherapist quite often has to meet with overly ambitious parents who believe that their child is lagging behind in development, although in reality this is not the case. At the same time, ignorance of the norm and early manifestations of general mental underdevelopment often leads to the fact that parents do not notice (or do not want to notice!) violations of the child's mental development.

      The child may still be very small, and neuropsychiatric disorders are already manifesting in him. To notice them, it is necessary to know the patterns of neuropsychic development. In the table compiled by A. V. Mazurin and I. M. Vorontsov (2000), the left column shows the actions that a child should be able to perform at a certain age, and the right column indicates his age in months. If the child has already reached this age, and does not perform the corresponding action, then this should alert the parents and be the reason for contacting a child psychotherapist or psychiatrist.

      Actions that a child should be able to perform at a certain age

      The main manifestations of early autism are:

      Monotonous behavior with a tendency to stereotypical movements.

      Most clearly, early childhood autism manifests itself at the age of 2 to 5 years, although some signs of it are noted earlier. So, already in infants, there is a lack of a “revitalization complex” characteristic of healthy children when in contact with a mother or educator, they do not smile at the sight of their parents, sometimes there is a lack of an indicative reaction to external stimuli, which can be taken as a defect in the sense organs (hearing, vision). In children of the first 3 years of life, manifestations of early autism can be sleep disturbances in the form of reduced duration and reduced depth, intermittency, difficulty falling asleep, early awakenings, persistent appetite disorders with its decrease and special selectivity, lack of hunger, general anxiety and causeless crying.

      Kovalev Alexander Ivanovich

      Chief child psychiatrist of the Ministry of Health of the Rostov Region

      Head of the Department of Psychiatry, Rostov Medical University

      At an early age, children are often indifferent to loved ones, do not give an adequate emotional reaction to their appearance and departure, and often do not seem to notice their presence. Any change in the familiar environment (for example, in connection with the rearrangement of furniture, the appearance new thing, a new toy) often causes discontent or even violent protest with crying and piercing screams. A similar reaction occurs when changing the order or time of walking, washing and other moments of the daily routine.

      The behavior of children with autism is monotonous. They can perform the same actions for hours, vaguely reminiscent of a game: pour and pour water into and out of dishes, pour something, sort through pieces of paper, matchboxes, cans, ropes, shift them from place to place, arrange them in a certain order without allowing anyone to remove or push them away. Children with early autism actively seek solitude, feeling better when they are left alone.

      The nature of contact with the mother can be different: along with an indifferent attitude, in which children do not react to the presence or absence of the mother, there is a negative form, when the child treats the mother unkindly and actively drives her away from him. There is also a symbiotic form of contact in which the child refuses to be without a mother, expresses anxiety in her absence, although he never shows affection for her.

      Motor disorders are very typical, manifested, on the one hand, in general motor insufficiency, angularity and disproportion of voluntary movements, clumsy gait, on the other hand, in the occurrence of peculiar stereotypical movements in the 2nd year of life (flexion and extension of the fingers, fingering them), shaking, waving and rotating the hands, jumping, rotating around its axis, walking and running on tiptoe.

      As a rule, there is a significant delay in the formation of elementary self-care skills (self-catering, washing, dressing and undressing, etc.).

      The child's facial expressions are poor, inexpressive, characterized by an "empty, expressionless look", as well as a look, as it were, past or "through" the interlocutor.

      The development of speech in some cases occurs at the usual or even earlier time, in others it is more or less delayed. However, regardless of the timing of the appearance of speech, a violation of its formation is noted, mainly due to the insufficiency of the communicative function of speech. Up to the age of 5–6, children rarely actively ask questions, often do not answer questions addressed to them, or give monosyllabic answers. At the same time, a sufficiently developed “autonomous speech”, a conversation with oneself, can take place. Pathological forms of speech are characteristic: immediate and delayed repetitions of the words of others, words and definitions invented by the child, and scanned pronunciation, unusual drawn-out intonation, rhyming, the use of pronouns and verbs in the 2nd and 3rd person in relation to themselves. In some children, there is a complete refusal to use speech while it is preserved.

      Emotional manifestations in children of early and pre-preschool age are poor, monotonous. Most often they are expressed in the form of primitive emotions of pleasure, sometimes accompanied by a smile, or discontent and irritation with monotonous crying and not sharply expressed general anxiety. A kind of equivalent of positive experiences can be stereotyped movements (jumping, shaking hands, etc.).

      Intellectual development can be different. From a deep mental retardation to the preservation of the intellect.

      The dynamics of autism in children depends on age. In some children, the communicative function of speech improves, first in the form of answers to questions, and then in the form of spontaneous speech, although partial "autonomy" of speech, pretentiousness, the use of non-childish turns, clichés borrowed from the statements of adults still remain for a long time. Some children have a desire to ask unusual, abstract, "abstruse" questions ("What is life?", "Where is the end of everything?", etc.). Game activity is modified, which takes the form of unilateral interests, more often of an abstract nature. Children are passionate about compiling transport routes, a list of streets and alleys, collecting and compiling a catalog of geographical maps, writing out newspaper headlines, etc. Such activities are distinguished by a special desire for schematism, formal registration of objects, phenomena, stereotypical enumeration of numbers, names.

      Specialists of the Phoenix Center treat autism using various methods. We are ready to help your child!

      The center conducts a thorough diagnosis and treatment of all mental and psychosomatic disorders children, adolescents, adults and the elderly, including early childhood autism, childhood fears, childhood schizophrenia, ADHD, childhood neurosis, etc.

      Our experience shows that, despite the severity of the disorders, in some cases successful socialization of child patients is possible - acquiring independent living skills and mastering rather complex professions. It is important to emphasize that even in the most difficult cases, persistent corrective work always gives positive dynamics: the child can become adapted, sociable and independent in the circle of close people.

      LLC Medical and Rehabilitation science Center"Phoenix" Psychiatric clinic

      Symptoms of a nervous breakdown

      We know from childhood that nerve cells do not regenerate, but this knowledge is often not taken seriously by us. But a nervous breakdown is dangerous. What are its symptoms we need to know in order to contact a specialist in time and prevent trouble?

      Symptoms of a nervous breakdown often depend on the temperament of the individual. But there are also common signs for everyone - a constant feeling of fatigue and irritability, loss of appetite, or vice versa - irrepressible voracity, sleep disturbance.

      Nervous breakdown: symptoms

      Of course, you can try to defeat nervous disorders yourself in the early stages, but our psyche and nervous system are too thin organizations that are easy to break and hard to restore. Therefore, it is better not to delay in long box, see a doctor. Better yet, get to know the causes of such disorders and eliminate them from your life.

      Nervous breakdown: causes

      As a rule, severe damage to the nervous system leads to various factors negatively affecting the structure and functioning of nerve cells.

      One of the most common causes of such disorders in the functioning of nerve cells is hypoxia. Because of it, not only brain cells suffer, but also all other cells of the nervous system. It is especially important that not only acute hypoxia causes harm, but also chronic. Therefore, do not forget about the need to regularly ventilate the room and walk outside. And this is what most people neglect. Just a fifteen-minute walk can greatly improve a person's well-being. Sleep, appetite normalize, nervousness disappears.

      Changes in body temperature also affect the state of the nervous system is not in the best way. So, for example, if a person has a temperature above 39 degrees for a long time, the metabolic rate increases several times. Nerve cells are very strongly excited, after which they begin to slow down, energy resources are depleted. In the same case, if there is a general hypothermia of the body, the reaction rate in neurons sharply decreases. Consequently, the entire work of the nervous system slows down to a large extent.

      Another very common negative factor is the impact on the body of certain toxic substances. Doctors even distinguish a separate group of poisons that act extremely selectively, affecting the cells of the nervous system. Such poisons are called neurotropic.

      Quite dangerous for the nervous system and all kinds of metabolic disorders. Moreover, it is most often affected central department. For example, hypoglycemia is very dangerous for the brain. Surely everyone knows that a chocolate bar eaten in time increases efficiency. And it is precisely because of the high content of glucose in it. If the level of glucose drops sharply, a sharp disruption in the functioning of brain cells will begin, up to loss of consciousness. Well, in the event that a glucose deficiency is observed for a long time, irreversible damage to the cerebral cortex is possible.

      Nonpsychotic psychic disorders of residual-organic genesis in infants with perinatal defeat of the central nervous system

      The article presents data of nonpsychotic psychic disorders in children 3 years with perinatal perinatal hypoxic-ischemic defeat of CNS. Major syndromes are neuropathic symptoms and residual-organic psychosyndrome.

      Adverse effects in the early stages of ontogenesis can cause malformations, child cerebral palsy and mental retardation, other diseases of the nervous system. The impact of pathogenic factors on the fetus in late pregnancy causes a deviation in the formation of higher cortical functions.

      Violations prenatal development fetus due primarily to chronic intrauterine hypoxia, increase the risk of perinatal CNS damage. And if in the first half of life, disorders of the nervous system are of a medical nature, then in the future they acquire a social connotation, posing a threat to physical and mental health.

      An important task facing specialists working in the field of perinatal medicine is to create a system of prognosis, early diagnosis, development of unified programs for the prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of children in the neonatal period and subsequent periods of life.

      With the emergence and improvement of reproductive, fruit-saving and neonatal technologies, there is an increase in the birth of children with perinatal pathology. In addition, technologies themselves can become sources of the birth of children with a disabling pathology.

      Epidemiological studies in recent years show an increase in the number of borderline neuropsychiatric disorders in the most different groups world population. According to WHO experts, up to 20% of children worldwide have mental health problems. The leading place among the child-adolescent borderline pathology is occupied by non-psychotic mental disorders of residual organic origin.

      Knowledge of the clinical characteristics of the initial manifestations of mental disorders caused by perinatal pathology makes it possible to identify a risk group for special rehabilitation measures from the first year of life, “at the origins of the disease”.

      The modern paradigm of the biopsychosocial approach to diagnostics, therapy and rehabilitation states that the provision of psychiatric care requires a more intensive development of out-of-hospital, consultative and therapeutic types of care, including a multiprofessional and interdepartmental approach, based on the primary links of the general somatic service. Unfortunately, despite numerous studies, the question of the influence of perinatal CNS damage on the subsequent mental development of a child in the early age period remains insufficiently studied. Observation, diagnosis and therapy of children under 3 years old with this pathology is carried out mainly by pediatricians, taking into account the diagnostic criteria of the specialty. As a result, there is often insufficient understanding of the mechanisms of occurrence of neuropsychiatric disorders at this stage of ontogenesis, their interpretation from a somatological position and ineffective therapy.

      The purpose of the study was to establish the nature of mental disorders in young children who had undergone perinatal damage to the central nervous system of the lung and medium degree gravity. This study was carried out on the basis of the Federal State Budgetary Institution Ural Research Institute of OMM of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (Director - Doctor of Medical Sciences Prof. Kovalev V.V.). Comprehensive research 153 children of both sexes at the age of 3 years were exposed. The selection of children was carried out by random sampling.

      The inclusion criteria for the study included: 1. Full-term infants aged 3 years who have undergone mild to moderate hypoxic-ischemic PCRNS. 2. Full-term children aged 3 years without indications of cerebral pathology of the perinatal period. 3. The general intellectual indicator of the sample is not lower than the average in accordance with guidelines, developed by S.D. Zabramnaya and O.V. Borovik, and indicators of the D. Veksler subscale (a drawing test adapted for children from three years). The study excluded children with pathology of the organs of hearing, vision, cerebral palsy, mental retardation, RDA syndrome (early childhood autism), degenerative diseases of the central nervous system, intrauterine malformations (CHD), TORCH-associated infections, congenital hypothyroidism, epilepsy.

      The assessment of the degree of perinatal damage to the central nervous system was carried out on the basis of the "Classification of perinatal lesions of the nervous system in newborns" (2000), adopted by Russian Association specialists in perinatal medicine (RASPM). Clinical interpretation and differentiated diagnosis of mental disorders are classified in accordance with the syndromic scheme of perinatal CNS damage (ICD-10,1996, RASPM, 2005).

      The main group consisted of 119 children who had signs of residual organic cerebral insufficiency of perinatal origin at the start of the study. The children under observation were divided into 2 subgroups: the 1st subgroup included 88 children who had mental disorders at the age of 3 years; the 2nd subgroup consisted of 31 children without mental disorders at the age of 3 years. The control group included 34 children aged 3 years who were born healthy without mental disorders.

      The clinical method of the study was the main one and included clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological and clinical-follow-up studies according to a specially developed examination map, including a survey of parents. The study of children was carried out by examining and questioning them, collecting data from parents and close relatives. Testing of children was carried out on the basis of the consent of the parents at 9-10 am, no more than 1 hour, taking into account the psychophysiological characteristics of this age.

      In addition to assessing the neurological status, the psychomotor and speech development of children was taken into account. Mental status was assessed on the basis of a clinical examination by a psychiatrist and a psychological block of studies with parental consent.

      In diagnostics, not only the diagnostic headings of the ICD-10 were used, where the dynamic principle of assessing conditions is ignored, but also domestic principles for determining the clinical picture and course, as well as prognosis of the disease, used in psychiatry. Assessment of mental health, psychomotor and speech development was carried out by a child psychiatrist and, if necessary, a speech therapist.

      Statistical processing of the study results was performed using the Microsoft Excel 7.0 software package for Windows 98 "STATISTICA 6" (M was determined - mathematical expectation (arithmetic mean), sample standard deviation, arithmetic mean error - m). To assess the significance of differences between groups, Student's t-tests were used for independent samples adjusted for differences in variances (differences in means were considered statistically significant if the significance level did not exceed 0.05; at P ≥ 0.05, differences were rejected).

      In the course of this study, an analysis of the biological factors influencing the occurrence of neuropsychiatric disorders in 119 young children was carried out. It was possible to establish specific features ontogenesis of children who underwent PP of the CNS of hypoxic-ischemic genesis of mild and moderate severity in the studied groups. All children were born full-term at the Research Institute of OMM of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation and maternity hospitals in Yekaterinburg, among them 73 girls (47.7%, n=119) and 80 boys (52.3%, n=119).

      At the initial stage of the study, correlations of low and medium strength were established between mental disorders in children and perinatal factors (p <0.0001). These included: intrauterine hypoxia r=0.53 combined (intrauterine and intranatal) hypoxia of moderate severity - r=0.34 mild hypoxic-ischemic CNS injury r=0.42 moderate hypoxic-ischemic CNS injury r= 0.36.

      Subsequently, an analysis was made of the frequency and structure of parental complaints made in connection with the health status of their children at the age of 3 years in the studied subgroups. The data are presented in table 1.

      Frequency and structure of parents' complaints about the health and behavior of their children at the age of 3 years in the studied groups

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    Mental disorders in children or mental dysontogenesis is a deviation from normal behavior, accompanied by a group of disorders that are pathological conditions. Arise due to genetic, sociopathic, physiological reasons, sometimes their formation is promoted by injuries or diseases of the brain. Violations that occur at an early age cause mental disorders and require treatment by a psychiatrist.

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      Causes of disorders

      The formation of the child's psyche is associated with the biological characteristics of the organism, heredity and constitution, the rate of formation of the brain and parts of the central nervous system, acquired skills. The root of the development of mental disorders in children should always be sought in the biological, sociopathic or psychological factors that provoke the onset of disorders, often the process is triggered by a combination of agents. The main reasons include:

      • genetic predisposition. Assumes initially incorrect functioning of the nervous system due to the innate characteristics of the organism. When close relatives had mental disorders, there is a possibility of passing them on to the child.
      • Deprivation (inability to meet needs) in early childhood. The connection between mother and baby begins from the first minutes of birth, it sometimes has a major impact on a person’s attachments, the depth of emotional feelings in the future. Any type of deprivation (tactile or emotional, psychological) partially or completely affects the mental development of a person, leads to mental dysontogenesis.
      • Limitation of mental abilities also refers to a kind of mental disorder and affects physiological development, sometimes causing other disorders.
      • Brain injury occurs due to difficult childbirth or bruises of the head, encephalopathy is caused by infections during fetal development or after past illnesses. According to the prevalence, this reason occupies a leading place along with the hereditary factor.
      • The bad habits of the mother, the toxicological effects of smoking, alcohol, and drugs have a negative effect on the fetus even during the period of bearing a child. If the father suffers from these ailments, the consequences of intemperance often affect the health of the child, affecting the central nervous system and the brain, which negatively affects the psyche.

      Family conflicts or an unfavorable situation in the house are a significant factor that traumatizes the emerging psyche, aggravating the condition.

      Mental disorders in childhood, especially under one year, are united by a common feature: the progressive dynamics of mental functions is combined with the development of dysontogenesis associated with impaired morphofunctional brain systems. The condition occurs due to cerebral disorders, congenital features or social influences.

      Association of disorders and age

      In children, psychophysical development occurs gradually, is divided into stages:

      • early - up to three years;
      • preschool - up to six years of age;
      • junior school - up to 10 years;
      • school-puberty - up to 17 years.

      Critical periods are considered to be time periods during the transition to the next stage, which are characterized by a rapid change in all body functions, including an increase in mental reactivity. At this time, children are most susceptible to nervous disorders or worsening of the pathologies of the psyche present. Age crises occur at 3-4 years, 5-7 years, 12-16 years. What are the features of each stage:

      • Up to a year, babies develop positive and negative sensations, and initial ideas about the world around them are formed. In the first months of life, disorders are associated with the needs that the child must receive: food, sleep, comfort and the absence of pain. The crisis of 7-8 months is marked by awareness of the differentiation of feelings, recognition of loved ones and the formation of attachment, so the child needs the attention of the mother and family members. The better parents provide satisfaction of needs, the faster a positive stereotype of behavior is formed. Dissatisfaction causes a negative reaction, the more unfulfilled desires accumulate, the more severe the deprivation, which subsequently leads to aggression.
      • In children of 2 years old, active maturation of brain cells continues, motivation of behavior appears, orientation to the assessment by adults, positive behavior is identified. With constant control and prohibitions, the impossibility of self-affirmation leads to a passive attitude, the development of infantilism. With additional stress, behavior takes on a pathological character.
      • Stubbornness and nervous breakdowns, protests are observed at the age of 4, mental disorders can manifest themselves in mood swings, tension, internal discomfort. Restrictions cause frustration, the mental balance of the child is disturbed due to even a slight negative influence.
      • At the age of 5, violations can manifest themselves in advance of mental development, accompanied by dyssynchrony, that is, a one-sided orientation of interests appears. Also, attention should be paid if the child has lost the skills acquired earlier, has become untidy, limits communication, his vocabulary has decreased, the baby does not play role-playing games.
      • In seven-year-olds, the cause of neuroses is classes at school, with the onset school year violations are manifested in instability of mood, tearfulness, fatigue, headaches. The reactions are based on psychosomatic asthenia (poor sleep and appetite, decreased performance, fears), fatigue. The disruption factor is the discrepancy between the mental capabilities of the school curriculum.
      • In school and adolescence, mental disorders are manifested in anxiety, increased anxiety, melancholy, mood swings. Negativism is combined with conflict, aggression, internal contradictions. Children react painfully to the assessment of their abilities and appearance by those around them. Sometimes there is increased self-confidence or, conversely, criticality, posturing, disregard for the opinion of the teacher and parents.

      Psychiatric disorders must be distinguished from anomalies of post-schizophrenic defect and dementia due to organic brain disease. In this case, dysontogenesis acts as a symptom of pathology.

      Types of pathologies

      Children are diagnosed with mental disorders characteristic of adults, but babies also have specific age-related ailments. Symptoms of dysontogenesis are diverse, due to age, stage of development and the environment.

      The peculiarity of the manifestations is that in children it is not always easy to distinguish the pathology from the characteristics of character and development. There are several types of mental disorders in children.

      Mental retardation

      Pathology refers to acquired or congenital underdevelopment of the psyche with a clear lack of intelligence, when the social adaptation of the child is difficult or completely impossible. In sick children, the following are reduced, sometimes significantly:

      • cognitive abilities and memory;
      • perception and attention;
      • speech skills;
      • control over instinctive needs.

      Vocabulary is poor, pronunciation is fuzzy, emotionally and morally the child is poorly developed, unable to predict the consequences of his actions. In a mild degree, it is detected in children with admission to school, the middle and severe stages are diagnosed in the first years of life.

      The disease cannot be completely cured, but proper upbringing and training will allow the child to learn communication and self-service skills, with mild stage disease people are able to adapt in society. In severe cases, care for a person will be required throughout life.

      Impaired mental function

      The borderline state between oligophrenia and the norm, violations are manifested by a delay in the cognitive, motor or emotional, speech sphere. Mental delay sometimes occurs due to the slow development of brain structures. It happens that the state disappears without a trace or remains as an underdevelopment of one function, while it is compensated by other, sometimes accelerated abilities.

      There are also residual syndromes - hyperactivity, decreased attention, loss of previously acquired skills. The type of pathology can become the basis for pathocharacterological manifestations of personality in adulthood.

      ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder)

      A common problem in children of preschool age and up to 12 years old, characterized by neuro-reflex excitability. Shows that the child:

      • active, unable to sit still, do one thing for a long time;
      • constantly distracted;
      • impulsive;
      • unrestrained and talkative;
      • does not finish what he started.

      Neuropathy does not lead to a decrease in intelligence, but if the condition is not corrected, it often becomes the cause of difficulties with study, adaptation in social sphere. In the future, the consequence of attention deficit disorder may be incontinence, the formation of drug or alcohol addiction, family problems.

      Autism

      A congenital mental disorder is accompanied not only by speech and motor disorders, autism is characterized by a violation of contact and social interaction with people. Stereotypical behavior makes it difficult to change the environment, living conditions, changes cause fear and panic. Children are prone to making monotonous movements and actions, repeating sounds and words.

      The disease is difficult to treat, but the efforts of doctors and parents can correct the situation and reduce the manifestations of psychopathological symptoms.

      Acceleration

      Pathology is characterized by accelerated development of the child in physical or intellectual terms. The reasons include urbanization, improved nutrition, interethnic marriages. Acceleration can manifest itself as harmonic development, when all systems develop evenly, but these cases are rare. With the progress of the physical and mental direction, somatovegetative deviations are noted at an early age, endocrine problems are detected in older children.

      The mental sphere is also characterized by discord, for example, during the formation of early speech skills, motor skills or social cognition lag behind, and physical maturity is also combined with infantilism. With age, disagreements smooth out, so violations usually do not lead to consequences.

      Infantilism

      With infantilism, the emotional-volitional sphere lags behind in development. Symptoms are detected at the stage of school and adolescence, when already a big child behaves like a preschooler: he prefers to play rather than gain knowledge. Does not accept school discipline and requirements, while the level of abstract-logical thinking is not violated. In an unfavorable social environment, simple infantilism tends to progress.

      The reasons for the formation of the disorder often become constant control and restriction, unjustified guardianship, the projection of negative emotions onto the child and incontinence, which prompts him to close and adapt.

      What to pay attention to?

      Manifestations of mental disorders in childhood are diverse, sometimes it is difficult to confuse them with a lack of education. Symptoms of these disorders can sometimes appear in healthy children, so only a specialist can diagnose the pathology. You should consult a doctor if the signs of mental disorders are pronounced, expressed in the following behavior:

      • Increased cruelty. A child at a younger age does not yet understand that dragging a cat by the tail hurts the animal. The student is aware of the level of discomfort of the animal, if he likes it, you should pay attention to his behavior.
      • Desire to lose weight. The desire to be beautiful arises in every girl in adolescence, when, with a normal weight, a schoolgirl considers herself fat and refuses to eat, the reason to go to a psychiatrist is “obvious”.
      • If a child has a high degree of anxiety, panic attacks often occur, the situation cannot be left unattended.
      • Bad mood and blues are sometimes characteristic of people, but the course of depression for more than 2 weeks in a teenager requires increased attention from parents.
      • Mood swings indicate the instability of the psyche, the inability to adequately respond to stimuli. If a change in behavior occurs without a reason, this indicates problems that need to be addressed.

      When a child is mobile and sometimes inattentive, there is nothing to worry about. But if because of this it is difficult for him to play even in outdoor games with peers, because he is distracted, the condition requires correction.

      Treatment Methods

      Timely detection of behavioral disorders in children and the creation of a favorable psychological atmosphere makes it possible to correct mental disorders in most cases. Some situations require monitoring and medication throughout life. Sometimes it is possible to cope with the problem in a short time, sometimes it takes years to recover, the support of adults surrounding the child. Therapy depends on the diagnosis, age, causes of formation and type of manifestations of disorders, in each case the method of treatment is selected individually, even when the symptoms vary slightly. Therefore, when visiting a psychotherapist and psychologist, it is important to explain to the doctor the essence of the problem, to provide a complete description of the characteristics of the child's behavior, based on comparative characteristic before and after changes.

      In the treatment of children are used:

      • AT simple cases there are enough psychotherapeutic methods when the doctor, in conversations with the child and parents, helps to find the cause of the problem, ways to solve it, and teaches how to control behavior.
      • A complex of psychotherapeutic measures and reception medications speaks of a more serious development of pathology. At depressive states, aggressive behavior, mood swings are assigned sedatives, antidepressants, neuroleptics. Nootropics, psychoneuroregulators are used to treat developmental delays.
      • In case of severe disorders, inpatient treatment is recommended, where the child receives a course of necessary therapy under the supervision of a physician.

      During the period of treatment and after it, it is necessary to create a favorable environment in the family, eliminate stress and the negative impact of the environment that affects behavioral reactions.

      If parents have doubts about the adequacy of the child's behavior, it is necessary to contact a psychiatrist, a specialist will conduct an examination and prescribe treatment. It is important to identify pathology at an early stage in order to correct behavior in time, prevent the progression of the disorder and eliminate the problem.

    If a neuropsychiatric disorder is identified at a young age, when the disease is at an early stage, treatment will be more effective and efficient. In addition, it will be possible to avoid many complications, for example, the complete collapse of the personality, the ability to think, to perceive reality.

    It usually takes about ten years from the moment the first, barely noticeable symptoms appear until the day when the neuropsychiatric disorder manifests itself in full force. But then the treatment will be less effective if this stage of the disorder can be cured at all.

    How to determine?

    So that parents can independently identify the symptoms of mental disorders and help their child in time, psychiatrists have published a simple test consisting of 11 questions. The test will help you easily recognize warning signs that are common to a wide range of mental disorders. Thus, it is possible to qualitatively reduce the number of suffering children by adding them to the number of children who are already undergoing treatment.

    Test "11 signs"

    1. Have you noticed in a child a state of deep melancholy, isolation, which lasts more than 2-3 weeks?
    2. Has the child exhibited uncontrolled, violent behavior that is dangerous to others?
    3. Was there a desire to harm people, participation in fights, perhaps even with the use of weapons?
    4. Has the child, adolescent attempted to harm his body or committed suicide, or expressed intentions to do so?
    5. Perhaps there were attacks of sudden causeless all-consuming fear, panic, while the heartbeat and breathing quickened?
    6. Has the child refused to eat? Perhaps you found laxatives in his things?
    7. Is the child characteristic chronic conditions anxiety and fear that inhibit normal activity?
    8. The child cannot concentrate, is restless, is characterized by school failure?
    9. Have you noticed that the child repeatedly used alcohol and drugs?
    10. Does the child's mood often change, is it difficult for him to build and maintain normal relationships with others?
    11. Did the child's personality and behavior often change, were the changes abrupt and unreasonable?

    This technique was created to help parents determine what behavior for a child can be considered normal, and what requires special attention and observation. If most of the symptoms regularly appear in the child's personality, parents are advised to seek a more accurate diagnosis from specialists in the field of psychology and psychiatry.

    Mental retardation

    Mental retardation is diagnosed from an early age, manifested by the underdevelopment of general mental functions, where thinking defects predominate. Mentally retarded children are distinguished by a low level of intelligence - below 70, they are not socially adapted.

    Symptoms

    Symptoms of mental retardation (oligophrenia) are characterized by disorders of emotional functions, as well as significant intellectual insufficiency:

    • impaired or absent cognitive need;
    • slows down, narrows perception;
    • having difficulty with active attention;
    • the child remembers information slowly, unstable;
    • poor vocabulary: words are used inaccurately, phrases are undeveloped, speech is characterized by an abundance of cliches, agrammatisms, pronunciation defects are noticeable;
    • moral, aesthetic emotions are poorly developed;
    • there are no stable motivations;
    • the child is dependent on external influences, does not know how to control the simplest instinctive needs;
    • having difficulty predicting the consequences of one's own actions.

    The reasons

    Mental retardation occurs due to any damage to the brain during fetal development, during childbirth, or in the first year of life. The main causes of oligophrenia are due to:

    • genetic pathology - "fragile x-chromosome".
    • taking alcohol, drugs during pregnancy (fetal alcohol syndrome);
    • infections (rubella, HIV and others);
    • physical damage to brain tissue during childbirth;
    • CNS diseases, brain infections (meningitis, encephalitis, mercury intoxication);
    • the facts of socio-pedagogical neglect are not a direct cause of oligophrenia, but significantly exacerbate other probable causes.

    Can it be cured?

    Mental retardation is a pathological condition, the signs of which can be detected many years after exposure to likely damaging factors. Therefore, it is difficult to cure oligophrenia, it is easier to try to prevent pathology.

    However, the child's condition can be significantly alleviated by special training and education, and a child with mental retardation can develop the simplest hygiene and self-care skills, communication and speech skills.

    Treatment with drugs is used only in case of complications, such as behavioral disorders.

    Impaired mental function

    With a delay in mental development (ZPR), the child has a pathologically immature personality, the psyche develops slowly, the cognitive sphere is disturbed, and tendencies of reverse development are manifested. Unlike oligophrenia, where violations of the intellectual sphere predominate, mental retardation primarily affects the emotional and volitional sphere.

    Mental infantilism

    Often children manifest mental infantilism, as one of the forms of mental retardation. The neuropsychic immaturity of an infantile child is expressed by disorders of the emotional and volitional sphere. Children prefer emotional experiences, games, while cognitive interest is reduced. An infantile child is not able to make strong-willed efforts to organize intellectual activity at school, and does not adapt well to school discipline. Other forms of mental retardation are also distinguished: delayed development of reading, writing, reading and counting.

    What is the prognosis?

    Predicting the effectiveness of the treatment of mental retardation, it is necessary to take into account the causes of violations. For example, signs of mental infantilism can be completely smoothed out by organizing educational and training activities. If the developmental delay is due to a serious organic insufficiency of the central nervous system, the effectiveness of rehabilitation will depend on the degree of damage to the brain by the main defect.

    How to help a child?

    Comprehensive rehabilitation of children with mental retardation is carried out by several specialists at once: a psychiatrist, a pediatrician and a speech therapist. If a referral to a special rehabilitation institution is necessary, the child is examined by doctors from the medical and pedagogical commission.

    Effective treatment of a child with mental retardation begins with daily homework with parents. It is reinforced by visits to specialized speech therapy and groups for children with mental retardation in preschool institutions, where the child is assisted and supported by qualified speech pathologists and teachers.

    If by school age the child has not been completely relieved of the symptoms of neuropsychic developmental delay, you can continue your education in special classes, where the school curriculum is adapted to the needs of children with pathologies. The child will be provided with ongoing support, providing normal formation personality and self-esteem.

    attention deficit disorder

    Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) affects many preschool children, schoolchildren and adolescents. Children are not able to concentrate attention for a long time, they are excessively impulsive, hyperactive, not attentive.

    signs

    ADD and hyperactivity are diagnosed in a child if:

    • excessive excitability;
    • restlessness;
    • the child is easily distracted;
    • not able to restrain himself and his emotions;
    • unable to follow instructions;
    • distracted attention;
    • easily jumps from one thing to another;
    • does not like quiet games, prefers dangerous, mobile affairs;
    • excessively chatty, in conversation interrupts the interlocutor;
    • does not know how to listen;
    • does not know how to keep order, loses things.

    Why does ADD develop?

    The causes of Attention Deficit Disorder are related to many factors:

    • the child is genetically predisposed to ADD.
    • during childbirth there was a brain injury;
    • The central nervous system is damaged by toxins or a bacterial-viral infection.

    Effects

    Attention deficit disorder is an intractable pathology, however, using modern methods of education, over time, manifestations of hyperactivity can be significantly reduced.

    If the ADD condition is left untreated, the child may have difficulties with learning, self-esteem, adaptation in the social space, and family problems in the future. As adults, children with ADD are more likely to experience drug use and alcohol addiction, conflicts with the law, antisocial behavior and divorce.

    Types of treatment

    The approach to the treatment of attention deficit disorder should be comprehensive and versatile, include the following techniques:

    • vitamin therapy and antidepressants;
    • teaching children self-control using various methods;
    • supportive environment at school and at home;
    • special strengthening diet.

    Autism

    Children with autism are in a state of constant "extreme" loneliness, they are not able to establish emotional contact with others, they are not socially and communicatively developed.

    Autistic children do not look into the eyes, their gaze wanders, as if in an unreal world. There is no expressive facial expressions, speech has no intonation, they practically do not use gestures. It is difficult for a child to express his emotional state, especially to understand the emotions of another person.

    How is it manifested?

    Children with autism show stereotypical behavior, it is difficult for them to change the environment, living conditions to which they are accustomed. The smallest changes cause panic fear and resistance. Autistic people tend to perform monotonous speech and motor actions: shake their hands, jump, repeat words and sounds. In any activity, a child with autism prefers monotony: he becomes attached and performs monotonous manipulations with certain objects, chooses the same game, topic of conversation, drawing.

    Violations of the communicative function of speech are noticeable. It is difficult for autistic people to communicate with others, to ask their parents for help, but they are happy to recite their favorite poem, constantly choosing the same work.

    Children with autism have echolalia, they constantly repeat the words and phrases they hear. Incorrect use of pronouns, may refer to themselves as "he" or "we". Autistic people never ask questions, and practically do not react when others turn to them, that is, they completely avoid communication.

    Reasons for development

    Scientists have put forward many hypotheses about the causes of autism, identified about 30 factors that can provoke the development of the disease, but none of them is an independent cause of autism in children.

    It is known that the development of autism is associated with the formation of a special congenital pathology, which is based on CNS insufficiency. This pathology is formed due to genetic predisposition, chromosomal abnormalities, organic disorders of the nervous system during abnormal pregnancy or childbirth, against the background of early schizophrenia.

    Treatment

    It is very difficult to cure autism, it will require huge efforts on the part of parents, in the first place, as well as the teamwork of many specialists: a psychologist, speech therapist, pediatrician, psychiatrist and speech pathologist.

    Specialists face many problems that need to be solved gradually and comprehensively:

    • correct speech and teach the child to communicate with others;
    • develop motor skills with the help of special exercises;
    • using modern teaching methods to overcome intellectual underdevelopment;
    • solve problems within the family in order to remove all obstacles for the full development of the child;
    • using special drugs to correct behavioral disorders, personality and other psychopathological symptoms.

    Schizophrenia

    With schizophrenia, personality changes occur, which are expressed by emotional impoverishment, a decrease in energy potential, a loss of unity of mental functions, and the progression of introversion.

    Clinical signs

    In preschoolers and schoolchildren, the following signs of schizophrenia are observed:

    • infants do not respond to wet diapers and hunger, rarely cry, sleep restlessly, often wake up.
    • at a conscious age, the main manifestation is unreasonable fear, which is replaced by absolute fearlessness, the mood often changes.
    • states of motor depression and excitation appear: the child freezes for a long time in an absurd pose, practically immobilized, and at times they suddenly begin to run back and forth, jump, and scream.
    • there are elements of a "pathological game", which is characterized by monotony, monotony and stereotypical behavior.

    Students with schizophrenia behave as follows:

    • suffer from speech disorders, using neologisms and stereotypical phrases, sometimes agrammatism and mutism appear;
    • even the child's voice changes, becomes "singing", "chanting", "whispering";
    • thinking is inconsistent, illogical, the child is inclined to philosophize, philosophize on sublime topics about the universe, the meaning of life, the end of the world;
    • suffers from visual, tactile, occasionally auditory hallucinations of an episodic nature;
    • appear somatic disorders stomach: lack of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, incontinence of feces and urine.

    Schizophrenia in adolescents is manifested by the following symptoms:

    • on the physical level headache appears, fast fatiguability, distraction;
    • depersonalization and derealization - the child feels that he is changing, he is afraid of himself, walks like a shadow, school performance decreases;
    • there are crazy ideas, a frequent fantasy of "alien parents", when the patient believes that his parents are not his relatives, it seems to the child that others around him are hostile, aggressive, dismissive;
    • there are signs of olfactory and auditory hallucinations, obsessive fears and doubts that make the child do illogical actions;
    • affective disorders appear - fear of death, insanity, insomnia, hallucinations and painful sensations in various organs of the body;
    • visual hallucinations are especially tormenting, the child sees terrible unrealistic pictures that inspire fear in the patient, pathologically perceives reality, suffers from manic states.

    Treatment with drugs

    For the treatment of schizophrenia, antipsychotics are used: haloperidol, chlorazine, stelazin and others. For younger children, weaker antipsychotics are recommended. With sluggish schizophrenia, treatment with sedatives is added to the main therapy: indopan, niamid, etc.

    During the period of remission, it is necessary to normalize the home environment, apply educational and educational therapy, psychotherapy, and labor therapy. Supportive treatment with prescribed neuroleptic drugs is also carried out.

    Disability

    Patients with schizophrenia can completely lose their ability to work, while others retain the opportunity to work and even grow creatively.

    • Disability is given for continuously ongoing schizophrenia, if the patient has a malignant and paranoid form of the disease. Usually, patients are referred to the II group of disability, and if the patient has lost the ability to independently serve himself, then to the I group.
    • With recurrent schizophrenia, especially during acute attacks, patients are completely unable to work, so they are assigned a group II disability. During remission, a transfer to group III is possible.

    Epilepsy

    The causes of epilepsy are mainly associated with genetic predisposition and exogenous factors: CNS damage, bacterial and viral infections, complications after vaccination.

    Seizure symptoms

    Before an attack, the child experiences a special state - an aura, which lasts 1-3 minutes, but is conscious. The condition is characterized by a change in motor restlessness and fading, excessive sweating, hyperemia of the facial muscles. Toddlers rub their eyes with their hands, older children talk about gustatory, auditory, visual or olfactory hallucinations.

    After the aura phase, there is a loss of consciousness and an attack of convulsive muscle contractions. During the attack, the tonic phase predominates, the complexion becomes pale, then purplish-cyanotic. The child wheezes, foam appears on the lips, possibly with blood. Pupillary reaction to light is negative. There are cases involuntary urination and defecation. An epileptic seizure ends with a sleep phase. Waking up, the child feels broken, depressed, his head hurts.

    Urgent care

    Epileptic seizures are very dangerous for children, there is a threat to life and mental health, so emergency care is urgently needed during seizures.

    As an emergency, early therapy measures, anesthesia, and the introduction of muscle relaxants are used. First, you need to remove all squeezing things from the child: a belt, unfasten the collar so that there are no obstacles to the flow of fresh air. Insert a soft barrier between the teeth so that the child does not bite the tongue during a seizure.

    Preparations

    You will need an enema with a solution of chloral hydrate 2%, as well as an intramuscular injection of magnesium sulfate 25%, or diazepam 0.5%. If the attack does not stop after 5-6 minutes, you need to enter a half dose of an anticonvulsant drug.

    neuroses

    Neurosis in a child manifests itself in the form of mental discoordination, emotional imbalance, sleep disturbances, symptoms of neurological diseases.

    How are

    The reasons for the formation of neuroses in children are psychogenic in nature. Perhaps the child had mental trauma or he was haunted for a long time by failures that provoked a state of strong mental stress.

    The development of neurosis is influenced by both mental and physiological factors:

    • Prolonged mental stress can be expressed in dysfunction internal organs and provoke peptic ulcer, bronchial asthma, hypertension, neurodermatitis, which in turn only aggravate the mental state of the child.
    • Disorders of the autonomic system also occur: blood pressure is disturbed, pains in the heart appear, palpitations, sleep disorders, a headache, fingers tremble, fatigue and discomfort in the body. This condition is quickly fixed and it is difficult for the child to get rid of the feeling of anxiety.
    • The level of stress resistance of the child significantly affects the formation of neuroses. Emotionally unbalanced children experience petty quarrels with friends and relatives for a long time, so neuroses form more often in such children.
    • It is known that neurosis in children occurs more often during periods that can be called "extreme" for the child's psyche. So most of the neuroses occur at the age of 3-5 years, when the child's "I" is formed, as well as at the period of puberty - years.

    Among the most common neurotic disorders in children are: neurasthenia, hysterical arthrosis, obsessive-compulsive disorder.

    Eating Disorders

    Eating disorders mainly affect teenagers, whose self-esteem is severely underestimated due to negative thoughts about their own weight and appearance. As a result, a pathological attitude to nutrition is developed, habits are formed that contradict the normal functioning of the body.

    It was believed that anorexia and bulimia were more characteristic of girls, but in practice it turns out that boys suffer from eating disorders with equal frequency.

    This type of neuropsychiatric disorders spreads very dynamically, gradually becoming threatening. Moreover, many teenagers successfully hide their problem from their parents for many months, and even years.

    Anorexia

    Anorexic children are plagued by constant feelings of shame and fear, delusions about being overweight, and a distorted view of own body, size and shape. The desire to lose weight sometimes reaches the point of absurdity, the child brings himself to a state of dystrophy.

    Some teenagers use the most severe diets, multi-day fasts, limiting the amount of calories consumed to a deadly low limit. Others, trying to lose "extra" pounds, endure excessive physical exertion, bringing their body to dangerous level overwork.

    bulimia

    Adolescents with bulimia are characterized by periodic drastic weight swings because they combine periods of binge eating with periods of fasting and purging. Experiencing a constant need to eat whatever they can get their hands on, and at the same time feeling uncomfortable and ashamed of being noticeably rounded, children with bulimia often use laxatives and emetics to cleanse themselves and make up for the calories they eat.

    In fact, anorexia and bulimia manifest themselves in almost the same way, with anorexia, the child can also use the methods of artificial cleansing of food that he has just eaten, by artificial vomiting and the use of laxatives. However, children with anorexia are extremely thin, and bulimics are often completely normal or slightly overweight.

    Eating disorders are very dangerous for the life and health of the child. Such neuropsychiatric diseases are difficult to control and very difficult to overcome on their own. Therefore, in any case, you will need professional help from a psychologist or psychiatrist.

    Prevention

    In order to prevent children who are at risk, you need regular monitoring by a child psychiatrist. Parents should not be afraid of the word "psychiatry". You should not turn a blind eye to deviations in the development of the personality of children, behavioral features, convince yourself that these features “just seem” to you. If something worries you in the behavior of the child, you notice the symptoms of neuropsychiatric disorders, do not hesitate to ask a specialist about it.

    Psychoneurological disorders in children, their prevention

    1. The main manifestations of neuropsychiatric disorders.

    2. The concept of psychopathy, their types, causes, signs, prevention.

    3. Neuroses and neurotic states in children and adolescents

    The main manifestations of neuropsychiatric disorders

    In recent years, teachers and physicians have been concerned about the deterioration in the health of schoolchildren, which is closely related to their neuropsychic status: most children have various forms of neuroses and neurotic conditions that not only form their clinic, but also contribute to the development of disorders of vital organs and body systems. . The relationship between the state of health of children and adolescents and their academic success is noted. The state of neuropsychic health of children affects their social adaptation, reproductive opportunities. The vulnerability and sensitivity of the child and adolescent nervous system make schoolchildren especially vulnerable in modern conditions of information overload, lack of time, etc. All mental processes are inextricably linked and represent different aspects of a single human mental activity:

    Intellectual (cognitive);

    emotional, thanks to which the attitude of a person to the surrounding influences and to himself is manifested;

    strong-willed, that determine human activity.

    Therefore, mental health disorders can be divided into

    1. disorders of cognitive activity

    volitional disorders.

    Cognitive disorders can be:

    - perception disorders (illusions- distorted perception of real-life objects - visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, gustatory; hallucinations(imaginary perceptions) - a pathological disorder consisting in the perception of objects that are in this moment do not affect the corresponding sense organs);

    memory disorders (memory impairment- the ability to learn new material is lost; playback violation, c (including amnesia - loss of memories);

    thinking disorders(accelerated thinking, slow thinking, fragmented thinking, obsessive states, delirium, dementia, i.e. decrease in the ability to understand the connection between phenomena, to separate the main from the secondary).

    Emotional disorders can manifest themselves:

    -increased emotionalityeuphoria - increased joyful cheerful mood, a state of complacency and carelessness, when everything around is perceived in iridescent colors, which does not correspond to objective circumstances; anxiety, fear)

    reduced emotionality (emotional dullness, indifference- an extreme degree of decrease in emotionality, there are no plans for the future, patients are cold and callous even to relatives; depression- an affective state characterized by a negative emotional background, a change in the motivational sphere, and a general passivity of behavior).

    Disorders of volitional activity are observed in psychosis, neurasthenia, organic lesions of the brain and can manifest themselves:

    increased volitional activity arises motor and speech stimulation, the activity is purposeful, but the violation of attention deprives the activity of completeness);

    decrease in volitional activity(a person can sit for hours in one position, doing nothing, answers questions slowly, in monosyllables).

    The prevalence of mental disorders among the population of developed countries is very significant. However, most people are unaware of the manifestations of these diseases, so they remain unrecognized and untreated, although such children, adolescents and adults could be helped.

    Mental disorders do not go away on their own. If you do not pay attention to them, then they become heavier, and the prognosis worsens. Timely diagnosis is especially important in childhood and adolescence. Many mental disorders in adults are a consequence of the fact that they were not treated in a timely manner in childhood. All this also applies to the so-called borderline states (psychopathies, neuroses).

    Knowledge of borderline mental disorders will help teachers and educators to objectively assess the characteristics of the child's character and find the right approach to him.

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    Psychoneurological diseases in children

    Mental disorders in children arise due to special factors that provoke violations in the development of the child's psyche. The mental health of children is so vulnerable that the clinical manifestations and their reversibility depend on the age of the baby and the duration of exposure to special factors.

    The decision to consult a child with a psychotherapist, as a rule, is not easy for parents. In the understanding of parents, this means the recognition of suspicions that the child has neuropsychiatric disorders. Many adults are afraid of registering a baby, as well as the limited forms of education associated with this, and in the future a limited choice of profession. For this reason, parents often try not to notice the peculiarities of behavior, development, oddities, which are usually manifestations of mental disorders in children.

    If parents are inclined to believe that the child should be treated, then at first, as a rule, attempts are made to treat neuropsychiatric disorders with home remedies or advice from familiar healers. After unsuccessful independent attempts to improve the state of the offspring, the parents decide to apply for qualified help. Turning to a psychiatrist or psychotherapist for the first time, parents often try to do this anonymously, unofficially.

    Responsible adults should not hide from problems and when recognizing early signs of neuropsychiatric disorders in children, consult a doctor in a timely manner and then follow his recommendations. Every parent should have the necessary knowledge in the field of neurotic disorders in order to prevent deviations in the development of their child and, if necessary, seek help at the first sign of a disorder, since the issues that relate to the mental health of babies are too serious. It is unacceptable to experiment in treatment on your own, so you should contact specialists in time for advice.

    Often, parents attribute mental disorders in children to age, implying that the child is still small and does not understand what is happening to him. Often given state perceived as a common manifestation of whims, however modern specialists argue that mental disorders are very noticeable to the naked eye. Often these deviations are reflected negatively on the social opportunities of the baby and his development. With timely seeking help, some disorders can be completely cured. If suspicious symptoms are detected in a child in the early stages, serious consequences can be prevented.

    Mental disorders in children are divided into 4 classes:

    Causes of mental disorders in children

    The appearance of mental disorders can be caused by various reasons. Doctors say that all sorts of factors can influence their development: psychological, biological, socio-psychological.

    The provoking factors are: genetic predisposition to mental illness, incompatibility in the type of temperament of the parent and child, limited intelligence, brain damage, family problems, conflicts, traumatic events. Last but not least is family education.

    Mental disorders in children of primary school age often arise due to the divorce of parents. Often there is an increased chance of mental disorders in children from single-parent families, or if one of the parents has a history of any mental illness. To determine what kind of help you need to give your baby, you should accurately determine the cause of the problem.

    Symptoms of mental disorders in children

    These disorders in a baby are diagnosed by the following symptoms:

    • anxiety disorders, fears;
    • tics, obsession syndrome;
    • ignoring the established rules, aggressiveness;
    • without visible reasons frequently changing mood;
    • decreased interest in active games;
    • slow and unusual body movements;
    • deviations associated with impaired thinking;
    • childhood schizophrenia.

    The periods of greatest susceptibility to mental and nervous disorders occur during age-related crises, which cover the following age periods: 3-4 years, 5-7 years, years. From this it is clear that adolescence and childhood are the right time for the development of psychology.

    Mental disorders in children under one year old are due to the existence of a limited range of negative and positive needs (signals) that babies must satisfy: pain, hunger, sleep, the need to cope with natural needs.

    All these needs are of vital importance and cannot be satisfied, therefore, the more pedantically parents follow the regimen, the faster a positive stereotype is developed. Failure to satisfy one of the needs can lead to a psychogenic cause, and the more violations are noted, the more severe the deprivation. In other words, the reaction of a baby up to a year old is due to the motives for satisfying instincts and, of course, in the very first place - this is the instinct of self-preservation.

    Mental disorders in children 2 years of age are noted if the mother maintains an excessive connection with the child, thereby contributing to infantilization and inhibition of its development. Such attempts by the parent, creating obstacles to the self-affirmation of the baby, can lead to frustration, as well as elementary psychogenic reactions. While maintaining a sense of overdependence on the mother, the passivity of the child develops. Such behavior with additional stress can take on a pathological character, which often happens in children who are insecure and shy.

    Mental disorders in children of 3 years old reveal themselves in capriciousness, disobedience, vulnerability, increased fatigue, irritability. It is necessary to carefully suppress the growing activity of a baby at the age of 3, since in this way it is possible to contribute to a lack of communication and a deficit of emotional contact. A lack of emotional contact can lead to autism (isolation), speech disorders (delayed development of speech, refusal to communicate or speech contact).

    Mental disorders in children of 4 years old are manifested in stubbornness, in protest against the authority of adults, in psychogenic breakdowns. There are also internal tension, discomfort, sensitivity to deprivation (restriction), which causes frustration.

    The first neurotic manifestations in 4-year-old children are found in behavioral reactions of refusal and protest. Minor negative impacts are enough to disturb the mental balance of the baby. The baby is able to respond to pathological situations, negative events.

    Mental disorders in children of 5 years old reveal themselves in advance of the mental development of their peers, especially if the interests of the baby become one-sided. The reason for seeking help from a psychiatrist should be the loss of previously acquired skills by the baby, for example: aimlessly rolls cars, vocabulary becomes poorer, becomes untidy, stops role-playing games, communicates little.

    Mental disorders in children 7 years of age are associated with the preparation and admission to school. Instability of mental balance, fragility of the nervous system, readiness for psychogenic disorders may be present in children aged 7 years. The basis for these manifestations is a tendency to psychosomatic asthenization (disturbances in appetite, sleep, fatigue, dizziness, reduced performance, a tendency to fear) and overwork.

    Classes at school then become the cause of neurosis when the requirements for the child do not correspond to his abilities and he lags behind in school subjects.

    Mental disorders in children are manifested in the following features:

    Tendency to sharp mood swings, anxiety, melancholy, anxiety, negativism, impulsiveness, conflict, aggressiveness, inconsistency of feelings;

    Sensitivity to others' assessment of their strength, appearance, skills, abilities, excessive self-confidence, excessive criticality, disregard for the judgments of adults;

    Combination of sensitivity with callousness, irritability with painful shyness, desire for recognition with independence;

    Rejection of generally accepted rules and the deification of random idols, as well as sensual fantasy with dry sophistication;

    Schizoid and cycloid;

    The desire for philosophical generalizations, a tendency to extreme positions, the internal inconsistency of the psyche, the egocentrism of youthful thinking, the uncertainty of the level of claims, the inclination to theorizing, maximalism in assessments, the variety of experiences associated with awakening sexual desire;

    Intolerance to guardianship, unmotivated mood swings.

    Often the protest of adolescents grows into ridiculous opposition and senseless stubbornness to any reasonable advice. Self-confidence and arrogance develop.

    Signs of a mental disorder in children

    The likelihood of developing mental disorders in children at different ages varies. Given that the mental development of children is uneven, then at certain periods it becomes disharmonic: some functions are formed faster than others.

    Signs of a mental disorder in children can manifest themselves in the following manifestations:

    Feeling of isolation and deep sadness, lasting more than 2-3 weeks;

    Attempts to kill or harm yourself;

    All-consuming fear for no reason, accompanied by rapid breathing and a strong heartbeat;

    Participation in numerous fights, the use of weapons with the desire to harm someone;

    Uncontrolled, violent behavior that harms both oneself and others;

    Refusing to eat, using laxatives, or throwing away food in order to lose weight;

    Severe anxiety that interferes with normal activities;

    Difficulty concentrating, as well as the inability to sit still, which is a physical danger;

    Alcohol or drug use;

    Severe mood swings leading to relationship problems

    Changes in behavior.

    Based on these signs alone, it is difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis, so parents should, having found the above manifestations, contact a psychotherapist. These signs do not necessarily have to appear in babies with psychical deviations.

    Treatment of mental problems in children

    For help in choosing a method of treatment, you should contact a child psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Most disorders require long-term treatment. For the treatment of small patients, the same drugs are used as for adults, but in smaller doses.

    How to treat mental disorders in children? Effective in the treatment of antipsychotics, anti-anxiety drugs, antidepressants, various stimulants and mood stabilizers. Great importance has family psychotherapy: parental attention and love. Parents should not ignore the first signs of disorders developing in a child.

    With the manifestations of incomprehensible symptoms in the behavior of the child, you can get advice on exciting issues from child psychologists.

    91 comments on the entry “Mental disorders in children”

    Hello! My middle son is 10 years old. He completely ceased to obey, does not want to do anything on his own, he only gives orders either to me or to his older brother. Pour me some tea, help me with the lessons, I don’t want this, I don’t know how, this is mine, buy me a tablet, a new jacket, etc. As a result, there are constant fights with the older one, the younger one hugs, kisses, then beats (and the youngest is only 2 years old). I explain that he is still small, everything is useless. There is no more strength to endure. And at school, this is a completely different child, quiet, obedient. At home, a real tyrant. Where should I go? How to determine the disease is it or something else?

    Hello. My granddaughter constantly transforms into the image of a dog. Runs with his tongue out, barks, wags his imaginary tail. This worries me a lot. And more love. He hugs and kisses everyone. At home please, but she behaves the same way at school. Where should we turn? Where to begin?

    My child is a year and a month old, but for about half a year he has a strange reaction to both “good and bad” .. He seems to twitch from the cold, while he presses his chin to his chest and then shakes his head, you can even say that he is shaking his head as if the muscles of the neck were completely relaxed. I used to think that these twitches start when he pisses, but now it’s always when he sees something good that he likes or when I make a remark to him, like “aaaaaaa, you can’t do this, well, well.” The child is reactive enough, if something I don’t like it, it’s already shaking all over with anger, but it’s a very sociable and cheerful, very patient kid, in public places it’s always calm and doesn’t throw tantrums even when we stay for a long time. or throws him on the floor and so he can sit for a long time, attempts to play cubes, a pyramid, etc., are not very attractive to him, speech - mom dad woman, etc., show parts of the body and how the cat says the dog, etc. only when he wants or is in the mood, sometimes it seems that he doesn’t know, although every day I work with him and books and rhymes of a counting rhyme .. But there is no reaction .. he makes patties, magpie, waves goodbye and hello .. I am worried about jerking and shaking my head; leans forward and talks back and forth) for a short time but until I say or shout by name ((do we need to worry about this? She said nothing to the pediatrician with a lost look ..

    Hello Christina. Address internally on the problem with the child to the children's neurologist.

    Hello! My name is Oksana, I just have a cry of the soul. My story is very similar to Elena's story above, which has no answer. Only my daughter is already 8, not 5. Well, from birth, everything is very similar, she screamed always and everywhere, she didn’t sit in a stroller, but the most similarity is that the look changes before the “frills”. Then it became a little easier, somewhere around the age of 5. At the same time, she developed a fear of being left without me ... It happened after she started going to the theater studio. From there she was taken away and recorded for dancing. There, the fear continued, but thanks to the coach, everything passed with time. And then the school began ... There they prepared her both grammatically and psychologically. On September 1, it went great, after 2 weeks I even stayed in the aftercare. And then the fear began again, I won’t go to school tantrums ... And where I just didn’t take her and they were in the hospital, nothing. So until the end of the year and sat at school with her. Summer passed, we were at sea, everything was fine there. I thought it was over, but no. On September 1, everything again, only they forbade me to sit at school, they began to study at home, with the permission of the school, without any special documents. But every day it gets worse, aggression and hysteria returned, it is not known when everything will start, he refuses to do homework, and if he sits down, this psycho will definitely arrange it. He starts throwing everything, yelling in a voice that is not his own, repeats do not touch me, even if I do not touch it anyway, in general horror. Then he asks for forgiveness, but the most incomprehensible thing is that everything does not begin with anything. And one more thing, this never happens in public, no matter what the situation is. Maybe just cry, if something. I forgot to write that, unlike Elena's case, my daughter, on the contrary, is a very affectionate and gentle girl. All the time fawning, hugging, and we also hug her all the time. And when it is bridged, just another person. Thanks in advance.

    Hello Oksana. We recommend that you and your daughter visit a practical child psychologist. The specialist will conduct a psychodiagnostics and if the problem is in his competence, he will corrective work if not, they will refer you to a neuropsychiatrist or psychotherapist, because practical psychologists work only with the norm or borderline state of their clients.

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