Mental health is the overall wellness of how you think, manage your feelings, and behave. Mental disorders among children are described as serious changes in the way children typically learn, behave, or handle their emotions that cause distress and problems getting through the day. Among the more common mental disorders that can be diagnosed in childhood are Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, anxiety, and behavior disorders, such as Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

A CDC study examined mental health symptoms in four different U.S. school districts during 2014–2018. The results showed that about 1 in 6 students had enough behavioral or emotional symptoms and impairment to be diagnosed with a childhood mental disorder; rates varied among the different sites. (Danielson et al., 2020)

Parents and caregivers may look for changes in their youth such as withdrawal, isolation, disconnection, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, feelings of hopelessness, sadness that lasts longer than 2 weeks, risk-taking behaviors, changes in school grades, changes in appetite, and sleeping patterns.

Schools may consider increasing mental health literacy, consider screening students for mental health concerns, and providing effective prevention services such as school-based cognitive behavioral therapy, and training administration, teachers, and staff in Youth Mental Health First Aid while creating a system of care with referrals and treatment services.