Addressing Your Child’s Mental Health Needs at Home

Behavior changes are expected in the teenage years, but knowing the difference between a child going through a rough patch and a child struggling with anxiety or depression can be difficult for parents and caregivers. Luckily, some helpful signs can help identify that a child is struggling with a mental health disorder.

“The two things I would really look at are number one, behavioral withdrawal and second, a decline in functioning,” said Stephanie Chapman, PhD, clinical program director, primary care psychology. “Behavioral withdrawal can look like your youth spending a lot more time in their room alone, not wanting to go out to the events they used to enjoy doing. Decline in functioning could look like being late for the bus every single day when they used to do that well, or grades going down, chores going down. That shows that kids are in distress.”

For parents and caregivers who are concerned that their child is struggling with anxiety or depression, here are some simple adjustments you can make at home to help. 

How to help at home

Creating space for children and teenagers to share how they feel about their day, rather than what they did or accomplished, can show that you care about their emotions and open the door to discuss issues related to mental health. 

“Often, we ask achievement questions. Did you get your grades up? Did you get that assignment in? But ask instead, what was the best part of your day today? What worried you today? What was your level of stress today? Because those open-ended questions let kids know that they can talk to us,” said Dr. Chapman.

Sharing your own ups and downs as well can also help kids feel more comfortable talking about their emotions, especially negative ones. 

Investing time in creating a consistent routine at home can also help regulate emotions. Find out what parts of the family’s normal routine the child enjoys — caring for pets, family dinner or being outside — and try to spend time with them during that activity or make it a more regular part of their week. A bedtime that allows for 8–10 hours of sleep is also important whenever possible. Screens, including phones and watches, should be removed during these hours to allow for more restful, uninterrupted sleep. 

Reaching out for support

While adjustments at home can be helpful, professional assistance can make a big difference in a child’s life. Talk therapy and medication management from psychology or psychiatry may be needed for some, but other avenues of support are available, too. 

If a child is struggling with class, school counselors can start a productive conversation about what resources are available at school and may be aware of community mental health resources that might be a good fit for your family. 

“Another really great place to turn is your pediatrician. Pediatricians are well trained at screening and identifying depression and anxiety, and they often have behavioral health providers in house, like we do at Texas Children's Pediatrics,” said Dr. Chapman.

Turning the corner

For children and teenagers with mental health disorders, there is no quick fix and no definitive cure, but with significant time and support, parents and caregivers will see improvements in mood, relationships and behaviors. 

“When kids start to feel better, you'll see them getting more active, coming out of their rooms more, talking more with you. Those are good signs,” said Dr. Chapman.