Why Mental Health Problems In Kids Should Be More Recognized

Commentary by Morgan Burrell. Image is from www.cdc.gov

Mental health problems in kids should be more recognized because they can lead to some bad outcomes. Mental illness is something you can take care of. There are a lot of mental disorders including mood disorders, anxiety disorders and personality disorders that can make children feel like they are not good enough to their parents. An estimated 20 million of our nation's young people have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder. Mental health problems should not be ignored just because people don’t care about them. Mental health disorders can make people do bad things. They can go to jail or be in prison for a lot of years. Mental health matters because no one knows how bad it can get. 

Mental health is important because it affects how we think, feel and act. It also helps determine how we handle stress, how we relate to others and in my opinion it’s important because mental health issues can make people with mental health problems think they are not good enough and can’t get better. 

Mental illness should also be seen as something that’s not terrible. Mental illnesses include depression, anxiety, disorders, schizophrenia, eating disorders and addictive behavior. People with mental illness may also be seen as scary, comical, and incompetent. A person with anxiety may be labeled as being “ weak “ rather than having an illness. Untreated mental health conditions can result in unnecessary disability, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and poor quality of life. Mental health conditions can cause difficulties in all the aspects of life including relationships with family, friends and community. This can result from or lead to problems at school or during work. There is stigma related to mental illness because society can hold negative beliefs about people with mental illnesses. 

I think people should focus on positivity about mental health and mental illnesses. They should stay connected and reach out to their friends, including family. An organization that can help people with mental illnesses is called Mental Health America (MHA). It was founded in 1909 by Clifford W. Beers. Mental Health America (MHA) is the nation’s leading community-based nonprofit dedicated to addressing the needs of those who are living with mental illness while promoting overall good mental health. There’s another organization called National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI). It  improves the lives of people affected by mental illnesses. It provides support, education and advocacy. School counselors can help people affected by mental health problems by having a counseling program designed to meet developmental needs of all students.

Morgan Burrell is a freshman at Friendship Collegiate High School.