Childhood is regarded as a carefree, innocent time in a persons life. Nostalgia for a time when we had no financial burdens or stress of finding employment is commonly found in most adults. But the good times are not always as great as we remember them to be. When discussing most mental illnesses, it is easy to believe that it is solely an post-pubescent issue. Due to the carefree nature of childhood, no one really assumes that young children relate to the feeling of depression or anxiety. Although they may not understand exactly how they are feeling, young children are still at risk of suffering from mental illnesses. But how young is too young to be feeling more than just basic feelings? What is the youngest age a person can suffer from
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There are a number of possible reasons. Firstly, most parents do not assume that their toddler is depressed or anxious; therefore they are not actively looking for symptoms. When symptoms are present, parents rarely jump to the conclusion that their child is mentally ill. In an article for Infant Mental Health Journal, writer Mechthild Papousek states that developmental disorders of infant mental health is “difficult to define and measure in the midst of early developmental risks, adversity, and disorder. They are mostly hidden, disguised, or overshadowed by the families’ distress, suffering, or conflict, or overlooked by therapists traditionally trained to focus on analyzing deficits, disability, parenting failure, disorganization, trauma, or psychopathology” (Papousek, 2011, page 29). Symptoms may go unnoticed, parents may believe it is a phase that their child will grow out of, or they may even think it is not a big enough deal to worry …show more content…
For example, if a toddler’s tantrums last for hours on end, they may be suffering from a larger issue than just the “terrible twos.” According to Dr. Joan Luby, director of the Early Emotional Development program at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, research suggests that 1 percent to 2 percent of children 2 to 5 years old have depression (Snow, McFadden, 2017). It is easy to mix up what is a cry for help or a cry for attention. Parents are more likely to think they have an attention seeking child than a mentally ill
There are a number of possible reasons. Firstly, most parents do not assume that their toddler is depressed or anxious; therefore they are not actively looking for symptoms. When symptoms are present, parents rarely jump to the conclusion that their child is mentally ill. In an article for Infant Mental Health Journal, writer Mechthild Papousek states that developmental disorders of infant mental health is “difficult to define and measure in the midst of early developmental risks, adversity, and disorder. They are mostly hidden, disguised, or overshadowed by the families’ distress, suffering, or conflict, or overlooked by therapists traditionally trained to focus on analyzing deficits, disability, parenting failure, disorganization, trauma, or psychopathology” (Papousek, 2011, page 29). Symptoms may go unnoticed, parents may believe it is a phase that their child will grow out of, or they may even think it is not a big enough deal to worry …show more content…
For example, if a toddler’s tantrums last for hours on end, they may be suffering from a larger issue than just the “terrible twos.” According to Dr. Joan Luby, director of the Early Emotional Development program at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, research suggests that 1 percent to 2 percent of children 2 to 5 years old have depression (Snow, McFadden, 2017). It is easy to mix up what is a cry for help or a cry for attention. Parents are more likely to think they have an attention seeking child than a mentally ill