This week’s article comes from Board-Certified and Licensed Professional Counselor, Dr. Chinwé Williams. From experience as a school counselor and a professor to an actively practicing physician, Dr. Williams is a useful source of information for adults that work with children, specifically children with mental health challenges. The article shares:
“According to the CDC, 1 in 6 U.S. children aged 2–8 years (17.4%) had a diagnosed mental, behavioral, or developmental disorder. ADHD, anxiety, and depression can become more common as your child ages. Both depression and anxiety tend to be higher in teens between the ages of 12 and 17.”
Statistics like this one can offer little hope or guidance about the next steps to take to help us love our children well. This article provides six practical pieces of advice to equip you to parent a child with a mental health challenge. Watching the child you love struggle is hard. Mental health continues to be a challenge in society today that increases these moments of struggle for teens. As a parent or guardian, it’s important for you to have some guidelines of what to watch for and what to do when parenting a child with whose mental health is struggling.
