mental health

“The first step is for parents to be open to the idea that mental health challenges may a ect their family,” says Meg

Benningfield, M.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Director, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

“None of us are immune to conditions like anxiety and depression which a ect nearly one-third of Americans at some point in their lives,” she adds.

Next, be supportive by making space to learn about your child’s experiences and to look out for warning signs. These include persistent irritability, changes in sleep and appetite, isolation, low mood and loss of interest in things your child usually enjoys, or just not even being able to have fun, says Benningfield. Often, the thing that parents need to do first is to make some space to take care of themselves — the guidance from airlines to “put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others” is really important in caring for kids.

That little word called “time” becomes imperative when trying to reach an anxious child.

“Even if it’s just 10 minutes one morning, ask your child about specific events, experiences and allow them to open up to you,” says Katherine Spencer, Psy.D., Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics, Division of Psychology and Hospital Medicine, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt.

“Talk with your child about hard things,” Spencer says. “Learning about your child’s perception of events in school, home, community and even world events, can o er opportunities to support them with their own thoughts and feelings related to these situations; listen and reflect on what you are hearing them say,” she adds.

And don’t feel as though this is only happening in your home. Anxiety has crept itself into many young kids’ minds.

Benningfield says the most common mental disorder in kids are anxiety disorders.

“Anxiety disorders are di erent from ‘normal’ anxiety that everyone experiences,” says Benningfield. “When a child has an anxiety disorder, their fears and worries make it extremely hard to do things that they need to do – like go to school, participate in a group activity or sleep alone in their own bed at night. Through treatment that includes exposure therapy, these fears and worries can diminish over time.”

Exposure therapy — a psychological technique that helps people confront their fears — has been shown to be highly e ective in treating anxiety disorder among children and teens. Discuss this with your pediatrician if you think your child could benefit.

All parents want their children to be healthy, happy and successful in the world. For that reason, seeking guidance from other parents, your pediatrician or a mental health professional when you don’t know what’s going on with your child is important.

“Every child is di erent, but in general, children need a safe environment where they can explore and learn, opportunities to connect with other kids and space to develop at their own pace,” Benningfield says.

Take the lead with helping your anxious child by modeling healthy habits like getting enough rest, making time for physical activity and eating healthily, too. And make talking about feelings part of your daily language at home with your kids.

“Talking about emotions shows kids that feelings are an important part of how we experience the world,” Benningfield says. “Making space for feelings normalizes the experience and helps kids to learn strategies for coping when feelings get too big. One of a parent’s most important roles is modeling how to cope with di cult circumstances and how to regulate our reactions to hard things.”

If you’re concerned about your child, talk with your child’s doctor. Benningfield says many pediatricians are becoming more comfortable assessing and even starting treatment for kids with anxiety.

Susan Day is editor of this publication and the mom of four amazing kids.

Research shows that hopefulness can dramatically reduce childhood anxiety. Look for inspiring news stories to share with your kids from time to time to help them find the bright side of life and also give them ideas on what to look forward to.