Mental health issues and kids: What could be the triggers?

Seeing your kids happy and healthy is the very basic that every parent wishes. However, children often suffer from mental health disorders that seriously affect their overall wellness, affecting everything from their behaviour to happiness. Poor memory, low concentration span and inability to interact with others are among the few other outcomes of mental health challenges. There are certain factors that can trigger mental health disorders in children. Here is a round-up of the most common ones.  

Genes 
As unbelievable as it may seem, children often suffer from psychological disorders due to genetic reasons. If there’s a history of mental health issues in the family, they can pass on from one generation to another. Such conditions include bipolar disorder, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), major depression, anxiety and even schizophrenia.  

Physiological changes 
Teenagers often suffer from stress which may be closely related to their physical changes that comes with the onset of puberty. Children who are insecure with their appearance are at a greater risk of suffering from mental health problems. This happens because of sudden hormonal changes, which, in turn, leads to body image issues.  

Psychological trauma 
Mental disorders in children are often triggered by traumas like sexual or physical abuse. Clinical psychologists are of the opinion that these untoward incidents lead to sudden changes in behaviour, depression, anxiety, lack of self-control, phobia of attachments, lack of interest in everyday life, failure to remember already learned skills and academic challenges.  

Stress generated from surroundings  
Living in a negative atmosphere can also be the culprit behind mental health disorder. If a child lives in a toxic home environment with unhappy parents, is a victim of bullying at school or suffers from peer pressure, it can cause severe mental illness.  

Insomnia 
Lack of sleep during childhood frequently leads to mental health issues like anxiety, depression, sudden mood swings, conduct problem, performance issues and aggression. Insomnia is known to affect the attention and concentration potentials of the brain and even memory in some cases.