Expert: 10% of children will have mental problems

One in 10 young people will encounter mental health and psychological problems in childhood, an expert warned today.

A further one in 50 aged under 18 will also suffer a severe and disabling condition that will merit mental health care.

Colman Noctor, of St Patrick’s University Hospital in Dublin, said children suffer serious conditions such as depression, eating disorders and anxiety.

He said that while children do not have the same challenges as adults, their young lives can still be affected by parental issues.

“Many children can take on the worries of their parents and in these challenging economic times this can be especially overwhelming,” said Mr Noctor, a child and adolescent psycho-analytical psychotherapist.

“In addition to feeling responsible for parental worries, childhood and adolescence presents its own unique set of challenges to negotiate like issues of peer pressure, identity conflict and family or relationship difficulties.

“To an adult who has perhaps survived their own developmental journey, these troublesome concerns can be minimised unfairly.

“The reality is that these challenges can have a monumental effect on a young person’s developmental pathway and without robust coping skills many children and adolescents will struggle to surmount this difficult life stage without some degree of upset.”

Marking National Eating Disorder Awareness Week, Mr Noctor said any parent concerned that a child is developing a mental health problem should monitor and observe changes in their behaviour, thinking and emotions.

Sudden or gradual differences can include sleeping, eating, self-care, motivation, withdrawal, fatigue, irritability, negative thinking and paranoia.

“Lastly, observe emotional functioning – if your child appears down, tearful, over-sensitive to comments, not themselves or overly clingy,” he continued.

“The most useful thing a parent can do in order to minimise the risk of mental health problems is to establish an open relationship with your child which encourages them to come to you if something is bothering them.”