A new systematic study discovered that children with mental health difficulties were more likely to acquire a mental disorder as adults. The Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) study, which was published in Neuroscience and Bio-behavioral Reviews, discovered that preventive and early intervention should be addressed at primary school-age children and those who are experiencing symptoms rather than waiting for a diagnosis.
The human brain holds a different mechanism than other organs in the body and commands each of them to keep the functions of the body intact. In a specific area, it holds the memory of childhood which leads one to face the other side of the same over a period even if one has grown up.
Mental Health Complications At Early Age Can Lead To Mental Disorders
The study discovered that having mental health symptoms before the age of 14 years old, and even as early as five, was predictive of mental illnesses later in life.
The systematic analysis of 40 research included over 50,000 individuals from Australia, the United States, New Zealand, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Finland, France, Brazil, and Spain.
According to MCRI Dr. Melissa Mulraney, rather than new diseases being identified, childhood mental health problems are more likely to persist until adulthood. The study discovered that children who experienced anxiety were up to ten times more likely to have an anxiety disorder as adults, and those who had mood and depressed feelings were up to 28 times more likely to develop depression as adults.
Similarly, children who had behavioral issues were more likely to develop ADHD or antisocial personality disorder as adults. According to the analysis, having any mental condition between the ages of nine and sixteen raised the likelihood of having several psychiatric disorders in young adulthood by a factor of six. Children who experienced bulimia at the age of 13 had a 20-fold increased risk of developing bulimia as an adult.
According to Dr. Mulraney, most mental health treatment programs are aimed at adolescents or adults, despite the fact that symptoms typically appear in infancy. One in seven youngsters aged 4 to 17 has a mental health problem.
However, barely half of these people had used mental health treatments. Samantha’s 10-year-old daughter was diagnosed with severe anxiety, ADHD, and autism. She stated that there was a 12-month wait to see a psychiatrist, occupational and speech therapists and that her daughter still needs the services of a support worker.
She stated that there is a high demand for mental health services, which is driving long wait times and delaying treatment. “My kid would be in a much better place now if she had received medical treatment sooner.
Samantha stated that more training for teachers to identify mental health concerns was critical and that more psychologists were required in schools. Schools are ill-equipped to support and comprehend mental health behaviors and triggers “She stated. Focusing on the early years of primary school will better prepare kids for the transition to high school.
Trying to get my child ready for high school is nearly impossible now, considering how late the therapy arrived.
Professor Hiscock explained that a “community of practice” pilot in Melbourne’s west and north aimed to improve primary and secondary care clinicians’ capacity to identify and manage infant, child, and adolescent mental health presentations.
The findings follow a previous MCRI study that indicated two out of every five young people in Victoria had mental health difficulties and one out of every five had suicidal thoughts during the COVID-19 outbreak last year. Due to school cancellations, four out of every five teens reported an increase in school-related stress.
