Is your child OK?
It’s a question parents, guardians and loved ones who care for their kids ask themselves every day. But sometimes it’s hard to tell when children are in emotional distress.
COVID-19 has taken a traumatic toll on the world, and life during the pandemic has been complicated, stressful and full of complications during the past year and a half.
Throughout the pandemic, more young people have reported being anxious, depressed and lonely, but one small COVID-19 silver lining is the added emphasis and attention toward proactively treating mental health issues.
Signs to watch for in kids
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How do you know when a child is struggling emotionally to the point that professional help is needed?
Mental health experts encourage everyone to be mindful if a child starts showing any of these warning signs:
Sleep
Sleeping a lot more or less than usual. Trouble falling asleep or staying asleep.
Eating/weight
Eating substantially more or less than usual. Significant weight loss or gain in a short period of time.
Concentration
A change in ability to focus on a task or complete a task.
Moodiness
Not just having a bad day or few days. A week or more of persistent low mood, sadness, anxiety, or irritability.
Cleanliness
A noticeable difference in personal hygiene.
Fashion
Atypical clothing for the season. For example, always wearing long-sleeve clothes even during hot weather days (outside of medical conditions or religious/spiritual reasons). This may signal concerns for self-harming behaviors such as cutting.
Socializing
Less interest in spending time with friends or socializing. Withdrawing from social events and family more than usual.
Interests
Not wanting to participate in activities that usually bring joy. Not wanting to play sports, do art projects or other favorite activities.
Academic
Sudden decline in academic performance with no known reason.
Social media
Talk of hopelessness, death, or self-harm and/or sharing many negative/hopeless posts on social media. These should be discussed in more detail and mentioned to parents, school staff members, or a pediatrician right away.
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