Caregivers answered surveys regarding the children they care for
From the 2016 National Survey of Children s Health, the research team took a survey of over 42,000 caregivers who have a total of 1,131 ASD-diagnosed children they take care of. The children with autism reportedly have different mental health conditions based on the caregivers.
Nearly 40 percent of them suffer from anxiety, 15.7 percent have depression, and 60.8 percent have behavior or conduct problems. Almost two percent have Tourette syndrome, and 48.4 percent have ADHD.
As the children with autism grew older, the research team found that their subjects suffer from mental health conditions more. They noted the significance of the 44.8 percent prevalence in preschool children with ASD because they believe that early intervention could increase mental health treatment s effectiveness.
By Kathy Chouteau
Richmond resident and author Rayna Best has written a childrenâs book called
Animated Like Me with a resounding message about self-acceptance and inclusion. Bestâs 36-page book, which was published in paperback this past summer and appeals to children ages four through 12, was inspired by her eldest child who struggled with inclusion and fitting into societal standards considered to be the norm.
When Bestâan African American womanâembarked on a search to find books like
Animated Like Me, she was shocked to find that the topic of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) wasnât widely discussed, especially in communities of color. It was especially astonishing, given that the number of children diagnosed with ADHD overall in the U.S. is estimated at 6.1 million, according to a 2016 National Survey of Childrenâs Health (NSCH) survey.
Nearly 78 per cent of children with autism have at least one mental health condition and nearly half have more than that. Mental health conditions were present in 44.8 per cent of pre-school age children with autism a group among which prevalence had not previously been established using a large, population-based sample. Only 14.1 per cent of children without autism (ages 3-17) had mental health conditions.
Children’s Hospitals Grapple With Wave of Mental Illness
Social distancing directly interferes with the social connection at the heart of many therapies
Krissy Williams, 15, had attempted suicide before, but never with pills.
The teen was diagnosed with schizophrenia when she was 9. People with this chronic mental health condition perceive reality differently and often experience hallucinations and delusions. She learned to manage these symptoms with a variety of services offered at home and at school.
But the pandemic upended those lifelines. She lost much of the support offered at school. She also lost regular contact with her peers. Her mother lost access to respite care which allowed her to take a break.
The increased demand for intensive mental healthcare that has accompanied the pandemic has worsened issues that have long plagued the healthcare system.