Mental Health

Special Needs

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Anxiety

Depression

Eating Disorders

Autism

ADHD

Learning

Crisis

Cutting/Self Harm

Suicide Prevention

Mental Health Screening Tools for Kids & TeensStart your child’s mental health journey with these mental health screening tools for kids and teens. These tools can guide parents toward early intervention.

Family Resource Center - Child Mind InstituteFind resources and information to help you support children who are struggling with mental health, behavior or learning challenges.

20-mh-8134-mymentalhealth-508_161032.pdf

Take a Mental Health Test

Psych Hub

Who We Serve - IndividualsPsych Hub provides resources for everyday people pursuing better mental health, helping them understand symptoms, learn how to provide support, and identify the types of specialized practitioners and treatments that could help.

Nevada DCFS Children's Mental Health Services

Childrens_Mental_Health_2015(2).pdf

Crisis Response

MCRT_Brochure.pdf

Trauma

About Child TraumaChildren who suffer from child traumatic stress are those who have been exposed to one or more traumas over the course of their lives and develop reactions that persist and affect their daily lives after the events have ended.

Mental Health Topics and Guides

Topics A-Z | Child Mind InstituteResearching a specific concern or disorder? Browse articles, guides and other resources in Topics A-Z on childmind.org

Guides | Child Mind Institute

YouTube Short Mental Health Videos

Child Mind InstituteThe Child Mind Institute is dedicated to transforming the lives of children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders by giving them the help they need to thrive. We’re the leading independent nonprofit in children’s mental health, operating three Mission Areas that work together for greater impact: Care, Education and Science.

Worried about changes in your child's mood or behavior?It can be hard to tell the difference between normal childhood behavior and signs of mental illness. Find out what to look for and when to take action.

Mental Health Data ChannelAccess national and state mental health and well-being data for U.S. youth and adults.

Parents Guide to Problem BehaviorWhen children struggle with their behavior, it can have a negative impact on everyone in the family. Parents know they need to respond, but they often aren’t sure what’s the best strategy, especially if a child is frequently acting out and nothing seems to work. This guide offers parents a comprehensive look at problem behavior. It covers a variety of topics, including what may be triggering problem behavior, how to improve the parent-child relationship when it becomes strained, what to do if kids are struggling with behavior in school and how to get professional help if you need it.

Non-Suicidal Self Injury (NSSI) / Cutting

Adoelescents Who Cut: Introspection and Intervention

Presentation by: David A. Opalewski

ATTITUDE

Our attitude needs to be “Not what is wrong with them, but what happened and/or what is presently happening to the child.”
Many times a prior trauma has occurred.
“Nearly 50% report physical or sexual abuse during his or her childhood.” (S.A.F.E. Alternatives, form 022.1/2)
In some samples, as many as 90% report that they were discouraged from expressing emotions, particularly anger and sadness.

BEHAVIOR PATTERNS

A significant number of cutters also struggle with an eating disorder. (S.A.F.E. Alternatives)
Many are fearful of intimate relationships.
Many are fearful of adult responsibilities.

PREVALENCE

Most prevalent form of non-suicidal self injurious behavior
Defined as purposely damaging body tissue without the intent to die
Increasing in middle and high school students
Prevalence studies report rates as high as 47% in community adolescent samples.
Empirical evidence also supports that prevalence has increased in recent years.

THE DIFFERENCE FROM SUICIDE

The person who engages in self-harm does not intend to die as a result of his/her acts
They do this so they may continue to live by getting relief from intense emotions.
Some do this to create feelings when they feel numb inside.
A person who truly attempts suicide seeks to end all feelings whereas a person who self-mutilates seeks to feel better.

HOWEVER

It is possible for both behaviors (suicidal and self mutilation) to co-exist in one person.
It is also important to note that self harm could result in accidental death by cutting into an artery and being unable to stop the bleeding.Many times more harm occurs than intended

WARNING SIGNS

Unexplained frequent injuries
Wearing long pants and sleeves in warm weather
Low self esteem
Overwhelmed by feelings
Inability to function at work, school, or home
Inability to maintain stable relationships

CAUSATION

Society
Media
Internet chat rooms dedicated to self injury
Trends in music
News highlighting violent & self injurious behaviors

Peer Group Influences

Fitting in
Cutting is a requirement to become a member of certain groups
Popularity of body piercings/tattoos

Familial

Viewing parents as unavailable or disinterested
Parental substance abuse and psychological problems
Difficulty tolerating the expression of strong or negative emotions
Comment on Peer groups “Although it is normative to experiment with peer groups(dress, music, etc.) it is NOT normative when the values of a peer group to involve self injurious behaviors.” Dyl, Jennifer, PHD 2011

ALSO

A sizeable proportion of adolescents cut themselves secretly, in absence of peer influences.

CLASSIFICATION OF FACTORS

Internal

Cut to regulate emotions
To punish themselves for improper behavior
To solve interpersonal problems
Internal negative reinforcement – to stop bad feelings
To feel something – even pain
To feel relaxed
To avoid doing something unpleasant
To feel “in control”

Social

To fit in
To let others know how desperate you are
An alternative form of expression for those who have difficulty expressing feelings

PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES

Cutters frequently report:

feeling temporary relief from unpleasant emotional experiences

Release of feelings
Reduction of tension
To feel in touch with one’s body
To feel anything, including pain

Other cutters report:

A sense of loss of control
Shame
Alienation
Helplessness
Low self-worth
A desire to punish oneself

“Cortisol: Why “The Stress Hormone” is Public Enemy #1. (Bergland, Christopher, Jan. 2013)

CORTISOL

Stress hormone

Recently high elevations discovered in tears of people grieving the loss of a loved one or other traumatic event
Elevated levels of cortisol increase the risk for depression and other forms of mental illness.
If cortisol levels build up in the blood, it wreaks havoc on your mind and body.

LOWERING CORTISOL LEVELS

Social connectivity – Two studies published in 2013 in the Journal of Science illustrate that social aggression and isolation lead to increased levels of cortisol that can trigger a cascade of potential mental health problems – especially in adolescence.
“These findings may have wide-reaching implications in both the prevention and treatment of severe depression and other mental illnesses.” Journal of science, Jan. 2013
Regular physical activity – kick boxing, sparring, or a punching bag lets out aggression (without harming anyone) and reduces cortisol
Any aerobic activity – jogging, biking, etc.
Meditation – simply taking a few breaths engages the vagus nerve which triggers a signal within the nervous system to slow the heart rate, lower blood pressure thus decreasing cortisol level. (Bergland, Christopher, Published January 22nd, 2013)

DANGER

Overtime, cutting becomes psychologically and behaviorally addictive
Reasoning is with greater exposure to this behavior over time, the fear of injury declines and internal reward increases.
Many cutters report the need to cut deeper overtime

WARNING

“Although cutting is not initially a suicidal behavior, overtime it can manifest to suicidal behavior.”

INTERVENTION

Cutting will increase rather than decrease overtime in the absence of treatment
The issue must be taken seriously and addressed as soon as possible.
Address the problem without reinforcing the behavior.
Focus on the underlying feelings and what the act does for the cutter, not the physical effects.

RELIEF

One of the most common reasons is to get relief from intense emotions because they are not able to regulate or control their feeling response.
Cutters tend to fail to identify, express, or release their emotions.

FEELINGS

For some, cutting is used as a form of communication.
They use this behavior to communicate to those around them what they are experiencing inside.
They are actually saying “See my pain.”

INTERVENTION

The goal should be to help the person find healthier ways to meet interpersonal needs.
Need to communicate
Need for attention
Develop resiliency skills

TREATMENT

Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

DBT skills taught include:

Mindfulness
Emotional regulation
Distress tolerance – resiliency skills
Interpersonal skills such as normalizing emotions, and empathizing feelings are not the problem, but how you deal with those feelings.
Physical exercise
Journaling or art work

TREATMENT

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT combines cognitive and behavioral therapy

Cognitive - Shows how certain thoughts cause uncomfortable feelings or distorted views of feelings.
Behavioral – provides an awareness of triggering situations and harmful reactions to them.
When a person becomes aware, triggers lose their power to create negative emotions.

PREVENTION

Encourage positive peer group conformity
Teach both parents and adolescents to identify triggers such as emotional reactions and perception distortions which may lead to negative behaviors including cutting.
Help each child to develop their endowed gifts.
Attend social, athletic, school functions
Contact professional help when if you suspect these behaviors(school personnel – parents)

HELPING FRIENDS OF CUTTERS

Ask about it. If your friend is hurting herself, she may be relieved you brought it up so she can talk about it. If she isn’t cutting, she isn’t going to start because you brought it up.
Help your friend see ways to get help. Don’t tell him what he has to do!
Consider telling a teacher or other trusted adult.
Remember, you are not responsible for ending the self-abuse.

SUMMING UP THE WHYS

To escape tension and anxiety
To escape feelings of depression and emptiness
To relieve anger and aggression
To gain a sense of control
To maintain a feeling of uniqueness
To obtain a feeling of euphoria
A response to self-hatred or guilt
As a symptom of more severe mental disorder

KEY POINT

Clinicians often state that it is a mistake to come down hard on a cutter as they tend to be very hard on themselves!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Help for Cutting and Other Self-Injury - Child Mind InstituteLearn why kids self-injure, how to spot signs of cutting and self-harm, and the best ways to help them manage their emotional struggles.

Understanding Self-Injury| JEDNonsuicidal self-injury, or self-harm, is when someone hurts their body to cope with negative feelings. Learn how to spot common signs of self-injury.

Self-Harm: MedlinePlusSelf-harm refers to a person harming themselves on purpose. About 1 in 100 people experience this. Learn ways to find relief and cope with emotions.

Stopping the Pain: A Workbook for Teens Who Cut and Self Injure (PDF) Thousands of teens across the country think that hurting themselves is the only way they can feel better, even though they continue to feel alone and out of control. There are a lot of reasons why teens hurt themselves, but this workbook can help teens build a happier future where they confront their problems in a pos

Suicide Prevention

If you know someone at immediate risk of self-harm, suicide, or hurting another person:

Ask the tough question: “Are you considering suicide?”
Listen to the person without judgment.
Call 911 or the local emergency number, or text TALK to 741741 to communicate with a trained crisis counselor.
Stay with the person until professional help arrives.
Try to remove any weapons, medications, or other potentially harmful objects.

If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, a prevention hotline can help. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 988. During a crisis, people who are hard of hearing can use their preferred relay service or dial 711 then 988.

Click here for more links and local resources.

September is Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, a crucial time to raise awareness, remove stigmas, and provide education about suicide. Having conversations about suicide is important because it reduces the stigma associated with the topic. By allowing for more open and honest communication, individuals with suicidal ideations can feel more empowered to seek help and are less likely to feel alone. Currently, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. For ages 10-44, suicide is the second leading cause of death.

We want to provide you with resources and to encourage you to have a conversation with your student(s) about this sensitive topic. As a parent, you can approach suicide prevention in the same way you do other safety or health issues for your children. By educating yourself, you can learn what puts kids at greatest risk for suicide and what protects them most strongly.

Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: Dial 9-8-8

#BeThe1To is the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline’s message for National Suicide Prevention Month and beyond, which helps spread the word about actions we can all take to prevent suicide. The Lifeline network and its partners are working to change the conversation from suicide to suicide prevention, to actions that can promote healing, help and give hope.

Southern Nevada Health District: https://www.southernnevadahealthdistrict.org/resources-for-suicide-prevention-and-mental-health-wellness/

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: https://988lifeline.org/

NAMI Southern Nevada:

https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/suicide-prevention-month/

Crisis Support Services of Nevada: https://cssnv.org/

Teen Line: https://teenlineonline.org/

LGBTQ+: https://www.thetrevorproject.org/

Child Mind Institute: Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/topics/suicide-self-harm/

Safe Voice Nevada (reporting application): http://safevoicenv.org/