Mental Health Resources

Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services

http://mha.ohio.gov

MENTAL HEALTH RED FLAGS/WARNING SIGNS

One in five kids will experience a diagnosable emotional or behavioral problem before they become adults. What to Watch lists common warning signs of impending mental illness. The symptoms to watch are experienced now and then by most children. When to Worry outlines factors that suggest that professional help may be needed. Treatment, when an emotional or behavioral condition is mildly problematic, can offset increasing severity or possible crisis situations.

What to Watch For

• A sudden or unusual change in behavior or mood

• Frequent whining, crying, complaining

• Extreme sensitivity or shyness; an almost paralyzing fear of rejection

• Moodiness, sullen irritability, inappropriate and frequent anger or rage

• Prolonged periods of sadness, feeling empty, hopelessness

• A sudden drop in grades or in the quality of schoolwork

• Loss of interest or pleasure in things previously enjoyed

• Withdrawal or isolation from others

• Significant weight gain or loss

• Unnecessary anxiety, tension, high stress, low tolerance for frustration

• Continual fatigue; drowsiness, inability to fall asleep or stay asleep

• Difficulty concentrating – delayed responses

• Overactivity, increased physical agitation

• Forgetfulness, confusion, doing the wrong assignments, missing parts on tests

• Unusual interest or pleasure in violence, threats, or bullying

• Self-destructive behaviors: recklessness, substance abuse, self-injury, eating disorders

• Running Away

• Minor, vague physical complaints: headaches, stomach aches, fainting, nausea

• Prolonged or repeated interest in death, morbidity, or suicide

When to worry

All parents might see any of these symptoms in their children on occasion. It is time to seek professional help when:

• Symptoms appear in clusters

• Over a long period of time

• They are interfering with the child’s ability to function

From redflags.org

Mental Health “Red Flags” Parents Should Be Alert For:

· Excessive sleeping, beyond usual teenage fatigue, which could indicate depression or substance​ abuse; difficulty in sleeping, insomnia, and other sleep disorders

· Loss of self-esteem

· Abandonment or loss of interest in favorite pastimes

· Unexpected and dramatic decline in academic performance

· Weight loss and loss of appetite, which could indicate an eating disorder

· Personality shifts and changes, such as aggressiveness and excess anger that are sharply out of character and could indicate psychological, drug, or sexual problems

Key Mental Health Issues:

Depression

While all of us are subject to “the blues,” clinical depression is a serious medical condition requiring immediate treatment. Watch for:

· Changes in sleep patterns

· Unexpected weeping or excessive moodiness

· Eating habits that result in noticeable weight loss or gain

· Expressions of hopelessness or worthlessness

· Paranoia and excessive secrecy

· Self-mutilation, or mention of hurting himself or herself

· Obsessive body-image concerns

· Excessive isolation

· Abandonment of friends and social groups

Eating disorders

Body image concerns can become obsessions, resulting in startling weight loss, severely affecting the adolescent’s health:

· Anorexia: Avoidance of food and noticeable changes in eating habits should trigger concern.

· Bulimia: Purging (forced vomiting) after eating — be alert for both dramatic weight loss without changes in eating habits (which could, of course, indicate other health issues that require a doctor’s attention) and also for immediate trips to the bathroom or other private spot after a meal.

Drug abuse

In addition to peer pressure, mental health issues can lead adolescents not just to experiment with alcohol and drugs, but also to use substances for “self-medication.” And in addition to being aware of the behavioral and physical signs of alcohol and drug abuse — drug and alcohol paraphernalia or evidence, hangovers, slurred speech, etc. — parents should also:

· Be alert for prescription drug misuse and abuse: According to the AAP, prescription drug misuse by adolescents is second only to marijuana and alcohol misuse. The most commonly abused prescription drugs include Vicodin and Xanax.

· Know that over-the-counter-medications can be abused as well: Teenagers also frequently abuse OTC cough and cold medications.

Concern about your adolescent’s mental health should first be addressed with your child — fostering open communication goes a long way toward fostering sound adolescent mental health habits.

If your concerns are serious, discuss them with your pediatrician. Because so many mental health issues display physical manifestations — weight loss being the most dramatic but not the only one — your pediatrician can offer both initial medical assessment and also refer you to appropriate mental health organizations and professionals for counseling and treatment if called for.

FROM – healthychildren.org

HELPFUL RESOURCES for youth and young adults with mental health challenges and mental disorders and the adults who care for them:

American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

www.aacap.org

The academy distributes information to promote an understanding of mental illnesses, and ensure proper treatment and access to services for children

American Psychiatric Association

www.psych.org

www.healthyminds.org

Mental Health America

www.mentalhealthamerica.net

Leading non-profit dedicated to helping all people live mentally healthier lives

YOUTH FRIENDLY MENTAL HEALTH ONLINE RESOURCES

• Center for Young Women’s Health and Young Men’s Health: These websites provides a series of guides on emotional health, including on test anxiety, depression, bullying, and eating disorders. www.youngwomenshealth.org and www.youngmenshealthsite.org

• Go Ask Alice!: Geared at young adults, this question and answer website contains a large database of questions about a variety of concerns surrounding emotional health. www.goaskalice.columbia.edu

• Girls Health.Gov: The "Your Feelings" section of this website offers guidance to teenage girls on recognizing a mental health problem, getting help, and talking to parents. http://girlshealth.gov/feelings/index.html

• Jed Foundation: Promoting emotional health and prevent suicide among college students, this website provides an online resource center, ULifeline, a public dialogue forum, Half of Us, and Transition Year, resources and tools to help students transition to college. http://www.jedfoundation.org/students

• Kelty Mental Health Resource Center: Reference sheets are provided that list top websites, books, videos, toolkits and support for mental health disorders. http://keltymentalhealth.ca/youth-and-young-adults

• Reach Out: This website provides information on specific mental health disorders, as well as resources to help teens make safe plans when feeling suicidal, and helpful tips on how to relax. http://au.reachout.com/

• Teens Health: Providing a safe place for teens who need honest and accurate information, this website provides resources on mental health issues. http://teenshealth.org/teen/your_mind/

• Teen Mental Health: Geared towards teenagers, this website provides learning tools on a variety of mental illnesses, videos, and resources for friends. http://teenmentalhealth.org/

HELPLINES

• Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM): Visit www.thecalmzone.net

• Crisis Text Line: Visit www.crisistextline.org/ or Text “START” to 741-741

• Lifeline Crisis Chat: Visit www.crisischat.org/ to chat with crisis centers around the U.S.

• List of International Suicide Hotlines: Visit www.suicide.org/international-suicide-hotlines.html

• Love is Respect: Visit www.loveisrespect.org/, text “LOVEIS” to 22522, or call 1-866-331-9474 to talk with a peer advocate to prevent and end abusive relationships

• National Eating Disorder Association: Visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/ or call 1-800-931-2237

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline : Visit www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or call 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

MENTAL HEALTH APPS AND TECH SERVICES

• Beacon 2.0: Beacon is a portal to online applications (websites, mobile applications and internet support groups) for mental disorders reviewed and rated by health experts. https://beacon.anu.edu.au/

• Health Talk: This website reflects the lived experience of mental health conditions, including research-based modules with hours of recording and analysis. www.healthtalk.org/peoples-experiences/mental-health

• Mindfulness for Teens: This website has resources to help teens use mindfulness to handle stress and includes apps to practice meditation and guided mediation recordings. http://mindfulnessforteens.com/

• Mood 247: A text messaging system that provides an easy way to record how you’re feeling and tracks your daily moods to share with friends, family, or a health professional. https://www.mood247.com/

• Strength of Us: An online community designed to inspire young adults impacted by mental health issues to think positive, stay strong and achieve goals through peer support and resource sharing. http://strengthofus.org/

ADVOCACY

• Active Minds: The leading nonprofit that empowers college students to speak openly about mental health, Active Minds aims to educate others and encourage help-seeking. http://activeminds.org/

• Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network: GLSEN is the leading national education organization focused on ensuring safe schools for all students. This website provides resources on finding GSA Chapters, and tools on how to establish or re-establish a GSA. http://www.glsen.org/

• StopBullying.Gov: This website offers resources specifically for teens to prevent bullying in their schools and communities and provides resources for those being bullied. http://www.stopbullying.gov/

• Teens Against Bullying: Created by and for teens, this website is a place for middle and high school students to find ways to address bullying, take action, be heard, and own an important social cause. http://www.pacerteensagainstbullying.org/

• Time to Change: As England’s biggest program to challenge mental health stigma and discrimination, this advocacy website provides ways to join the campaign and get others involved. www.time-to-change.org.uk/

• Youth Resource: Created by and for LGBTQ young people, this website provides information and resources on self-harm and suicide, personal stories and accounts, and useful hotlines. www.youthresource.com/

From: http://www.adolescenthealth.org/Resources/Clinical-Care-Resources/Mental-Health/Mental-Health-Resources-For-Adolesc.aspx