Thursday is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day – WDBJ7

ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ7) Understanding a child’s behavior is sometimes like trying to solve a puzzle.

Counselors say that there’s typically a reason a child is acting abnormally.

While it’s sometimes just a phase, it could be something far more serious.

Today is Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day.

According to the National Alliance On Mental Illness, around 20 percent of children suffer from some form of mental illness by the time they reach adolescence.

But how do parents, teachers and peers recognize those first signs of trouble?

Counselor Decca Knight says there are several questions parents and teachers should ask themselves such as, “Is it a a drastic change in behavior than you are used to seeing? Are you seeing increased levels of anxiety? Increased levels of sadness? And if you’re seeing any of those things, let’s investigate to see if something’s going on here at school.”

Experts also say one of the worst things a child can do is try to handle their mental or emotional problems on their own.

WDBJ7 is hosting a live web chat with experts on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. to answer your questions about children’s mental health issues. Click here to join the conversation.

There are many resources available for families dealing with mental illness. We have posted some helpful links for you to get guidelines on when to seek counseling or therapy for your child, as well as insurance guidelines.