Health Tip: Mental Illness Warning Signs
(HealthDay News) -- Determining if a child's troubling behavior is "part of growing up" or a sign of a mental health problem can be difficult.
Parents should contact a mental health professional if symptoms last weeks or more and interfere with the child's daily life, says the National Institute of Mental Health.
Warning signs of a mental illness may include:
- Minimal interest in things that the person once enjoyed.
- Low energy.
- Too much or too little sleep.
- Self-harming behaviors.
- Smoking, drinking or drug use.
- Excessive exercise or diet.
- Thoughts of suicide.
- Risky or destructive behavior.
The news stories provided in Health News and our Health-E News Newsletter are a service of the nationally syndicated HealthDay® news and information company. Stories refer to national trends and breaking health news, and are not necessarily indicative of or always supported by our facility and providers. This information is provided for informational and educational purposes only, and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.