Could Your Child Benefit from Mental Health Support?

Growing up is hard! In many cases, challenging behaviors and emotions are an expected part of adolescence. Your child or teen may be sad, anxious, angry, or irritable at times.

So how do you know what’s just a stage, and what’s cause for concern?

These signs, as identified by the National Institute of Mental Health, can help you know when your child or teen may benefit from a healthcare provider's attention.

What to watch for in young children

Children may:

• Have frequent tantrums or be intensely irritable much of the time.
• Talk frequently about fears or worries.
• Complain about headaches or stomachaches with no known medical cause.
• Be unable to sit quietly except when watching TV or playing video games.
• Repeat actions or check things often out of fear bad things will happen.

What to watch for in tweens and teens

Older kids may:

• Show less interest in activities or interests they once enjoyed.
• Have low energy.
• Sleep too much or too little.
• Spend more and more time alone and avoid social activities with friends or family.
• Engage in risky behavior.

Mental health is an important part of your child's overall well-being. Seek help if your child's or teen's concerning behavior lasts a few weeks or longer, or if the behavior gets in the way of your child's ability to function at school, with friends, or at home. If your child's behavior isn't safe, or if your child talks about hurting himself or herself or someone else, get help immediately.

Where to find help

If you need immediate help, call, text, or chat 988 to connect with a trained crisis counselor. You can also reach out Teen Lifeline: Home | Teen Lifeline.

If you think your child could benefit from ongoing care, reach out to your healthcare provider. Your primary care provider (PCP) can refer you to specialists such as therapists, psychologists, or psychiatrists. Click here to learn the differences between these types of providers.

Health insurance plans have directories of in-network behavioral healthcare providers. If you’re a Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona (AZ Blue) member – you can search doctors by specialty in your member portal.

If you’re new to seeking behavioral health help, and are unsure of what questions to ask during appointments, visit: 10 Questions to Ask Your Behavioral Healthcare Provider (azblue.com)