{"id":48,"date":"2014-09-13T21:43:29","date_gmt":"2014-09-14T01:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cpeclinicblog.com\/?p=48"},"modified":"2014-09-14T17:04:12","modified_gmt":"2014-09-14T21:04:12","slug":"an-ounce-of-prevention-is-worth-a-successful-school-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cpeclinicblog.com\/?p=48","title":{"rendered":"An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Successful School Year"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Theresa Shank, Ph.D.<\/em><\/p>\n

The first day of the school year has come and gone. Back to school supply lists have all been checked off. Medical forms have been filled out and the sports physicals have been performed. Peer group parents have been consulted on the appropriateness of smart phones, tablets, and social media use. Within the next few weeks, parents will also be able meet their children\u2019s teachers at Back to School events. All in all, parents will have had the chance to connect with their children\u2019s medical and education experts, as well as other parents in the community, and measure their development, behavior, and general well-being. As an experienced child and adolescent psychologist, I think back-to-school is also an ideal time for parents to evaluate their children\u2019s mental health as they transition into the challenges and changes of a new school year.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ve heard the saying, \u201cAn ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.\u201d Fully 50% of all lifetime mental health disorders start by the age of 14. However, early signs of mental illness – anxiety, depression, mood disorders, learning disorders, attention deficit disorders, etc – are often missed, or are dismissed as passing phases in the child\u2019s or teen\u2019s development. The U.S. Surgeon General estimates that about 21% of children and teens in the United States have a diagnosable mental health disorder, but that 80% of them are not identified and do not receive help. Over time, untreated symptoms increase in scope and prevalence and often become entrenched in the individual\u2019s personality, making it much more difficult for the late teen or young adult to separate himself or herself from them, instead experiencing the symptoms as \u201cThis is just how I am,\u201d and, even worse, \u201cthere is nothing that can be done about my situation.\u201d
\nAs sobering as these facts can be, there is also a tremendous amount of hope. One of the best things you can do as a parent is to identify any mental health disorder early in your child\u2019s development. Treatment in early stages of disorders can often be easier, more successful, and less reliant on medication. Identifying and treating symptoms of anxiety, mood disorders, learning disorders, and attention deficit disorders when they first appear results in better treatment outcome, lower costs to families, and overall better quality of life for the child and family.
\nAs a mental health professional, I encourage you to think about how your child or teen is doing in the following areas:<\/p>\n