When you think of pediatric care, it’s easy to just focus on physical examinations. The truth is mental health is just as important in pediatric care. The pediatricians at Pediatric Group Associates in Moline, IL, provide a full range of medical services for children, including mental health screenings and treatment.

What You Need To Know About Children’s Mental Health

Children deal with a lot of stress as they grow. Stress is a major contributor to poor mental health. Your child’s pediatrician can help identify stressors in your child’s life and teach your child how to deal with stress in a healthy way. Common stressors your child may be experiencing include:

• Divorce, marriage, or a change in the family environment
• Losing friends and making new ones
• Moving to a new school or new home
• Dealing with a serious medical condition
• Death of a close family member or pet

When your child experiences stressful events, mental health conditions may be the result. Anxiety and depression are two common mental health conditions children experience. Your child could benefit from a mental health screening if your child is:

• Anxious about going to school
• Frequently feeling sad
• Uninterested in favorite activities
• Exhibiting harmful or destructive behaviors
• Having eating or sleeping issues

A mental health screening from the pediatrician is a comprehensive evaluation, during which your child’s pediatrician will:

• Complete an initial assessment and checklist of symptoms
• A specific screening for anxiety disorder
• A specific screening for depression

If your child is experiencing severe mental health issues, your child’s pediatrician may also recommend a suicide prevention screening. Your child may also benefit from additional testing and evaluation for developmental and behavioral conditions including:

• Delayed learning
• Attention deficit disorder, or ADD
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD

Want To Know More About The Importance of Mental Health Services for Children?

To find out more about mental health services for children, call the pediatricians at Pediatric Group Associates in Moline, IL. You can reach them in the office by calling (309) 797-5437, so call today.