What are the symptoms of mental illness in children?
Symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include: • Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol • Inability to cope with daily problems and activities • Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits • Excessive complaints of physical ailments • Defying authority, skipping school, stealing or damaging property • Intense fear of gaining weight • Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death • Frequent outbursts of anger • Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts • Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy • Significant increase in time spent alone • Excessive worrying or anxiety • Hyperactivity • Persistent nightmares or night terrors • Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior • Frequent temper tantrums • Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations) What Causes Mental Illness? The exact cause of most mental disorders is not known, but researc
