Many children and youth will exhibit some of the following characteristics and behaviours at various times during normal childhood development.

• getting significantly lower marks in school
• avoiding friends and family
• having frequent outbursts of anger and rage
• losing his or her appetite
• having difficulty sleeping
• rebelling against authority
• drinking a lot and/or using drugs
• not doing the things he or she used to enjoy
• damaging other people's property
• worrying constantly
• experiencing frequent mood swings
• not concerned with his or her appearance
• obsessed with his or her weight
• lacking energy or motivation
• hitting or bullying other children
• attempting to injure him or her self

But these characteristics and behaviours may be signs of an underlying mental health disorder if they:

• are intense
• persist over long periods of time
• are inappropriate for the child's age
• interfere with the child's life.

Children and youth with the most serious mental health disorders, such as severe psychosis or schizophrenia may exhibit:

• distorted thinking
• excessive anxiety
• odd body movements
• abnormal mood swings
• acting overly suspicious of others
• seeing or hearing things that others don’t see or hear

When kids have a physical illness or injury, parents seek professional help and get them the medical attention they need. When kids have symptoms of a mental illness, they need their parents to respond in the same way.

Listen to your instincts if you are worried about your child. Collect as much information as you can. You are probably in the best position to know if your child’s behaviour requires further attention. Arrange to meet with a well-trained and trusted professional. Help that works is available.

It can be confusing trying to tell the difference between symptoms of mental illness and normal challenges that all kids experience from time to time. As parents, you can use observable behaviours to help decide what action you need to take.

1. Circle the behaviours from the list that concern you  -- especially those lasting a few weeks or more.
2. Speak to your child regarding your main concerns.  no more than 3 and keep it brief. Listen to their response for an uninterrupted 3 minutes if you can.
3. Let your child know you will help work out difficult issues together.
4. Arrange to meet with a trusted and trained professional to discuss your concerns and how to access help. You don’t have to do this alone.