Changes often act as triggers: moving home or school or the birth of a new brother or sister, for example. Some children who start school feel excited about making new friends and doing new activities, but there may also be some who feel anxious about entering a new environment.

Teenagers often experience emotional turmoil as their minds and bodies develop. An important part of growing up is working out and accepting who you are. Some young people find it hard to make this transition to adulthood and may experiment with alcohol, drugs or other substances that can affect mental health.

Risk factors

There are certain risk factors that make some children and young people more likely to experience problems than other children, but they don’t necessarily mean difficulties are bound to come up or are even probable.

Some of these factors include:

• having a long-term physical illness
• having a parent who has had mental health problems, problems with alcohol or has been in trouble with the law
• experiencing the death of someone close to them
• having parents who separate or divorce
• having been severely bullied or physically or sexually abused
• living in poverty or being homeless
• experiencing discrimination, perhaps because of their race, sexuality or religion
• acting as a career for a relative, taking on adult responsibilities
• having long-standing educational difficulties.

What mental health problems commonly occur in children?

These are some of the mental health problems that can affect children and young people.

• Depression affects more children and young people today than in the last few decades, but it is still more common in adults. Teenagers are more likely to experience depression than young children.
• Self-harm is a very common problem among young people. Some people find it helps them manage intense emotional pain if they harm themselves, through cutting or burning, for example. They may not wish to take their own life.
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can cause young people to become extremely worried. Very young children or children starting or moving school may have separation anxiety.
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can follow physical or sexual abuse, witnessing something extremely frightening of traumatizing, being the victim of violence or severe bullying or surviving a disaster.
• Eating disorders usually start in the teenage years and are more common in girls than boys. 

Parental help

If they have a warm, open relationship with their parents, children will usually feel able to tell them if they are troubled. One of the most important ways parents can help is to listen to them and take their feelings seriously. They may want a hug, they may want you to help them change something or they may want practical help.

Professional help

If your child is having problems at school, a teacher, school nurse, school counsellor or educational psychologist may be able to help. Otherwise, go to your GP or speak to a health visitor. These professionals are able to refer a child to further help. Different professionals often work together in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

Most support for troubled children and young people is provided free by the NHS, your child’s school or your local council’s social services department.

https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/a-to-z/c/children-and-young-people