Children:
Like adults, children can have mental illnesses that interfere with the way they think, act, and feel. Mental illnesses can lead to school failure, family conflict, drug abuse, behavioral problems and violence if untreated. Untreated mental illnesses can be very costly to families, communities and health care systems. Many children have mental health problems that interfere with their normal development and functioning.
The most common mental disorders that affect children include:
Mental health disorders in children are usually caused by biological or environmental factors. Examples of biological causes are genetics, chemical imbalances in the body, or damage to the central nervous system, such as a head injury. Many environmental factors also influence the likelihood of developing a mental illness. Such environmental factors include:
- Exposure to environmental toxins (for example, high levels of lead)
- Exposure to violence (for example, witnessing or being the victim of physical or sexual abuse, drive-by shootings, muggings or other disasters)
- Stress related to chronic poverty, discrimination or other serious hardship
- The loss of significant people through death, divorce or broken relationships
