AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has released what it calls a guide to navigating your child’s mental health.
The new book, “You Are Not Alone for Parents and Caregivers” was written by child psychiatrist and NAMI Associate Medical Director Dr. Christine M. Crawford.
“As a mother of two young girls, I understand how important mental health is and how important emotional development is,” said Crawford.
“And as a psychiatrist, I see kids and families who are struggling each and every day to cope with all of the stressful things that are happening in our world, and waiting to see me many months for an appointment. I know that a lot of kids and families don’t have that time to wait months.”
According to NAMI, a growing number of children and teens in the U.S. are struggling with mental health conditions, but parents, teachers, and other caregivers are often at a loss when concerns arise for their own children. They have a right to be concerned, as 50% of all mental health conditions start to appear before the age of 14.
“This book covers mental health challenges that are experienced by kids as young as three and four going all the way up to the high school years, 18. This is a book that spans all of child development, talking about how mental health conditions can present in different age group,” explained Dr. Crawford.
Dr. Crawford talked about one concept explained in the book, called “look, listen and lock it.”
“What that is all about is looking at your child, noticing your child, and seeing if there are any changes in their moods or in their pattern of behavior, and to engage in a conversation in which you’re listening to them talk about their challenges from a place of curiosity, rather than jumping in and trying to problem solve. Then you want to lock in. You want to lock in and provide all the support that your kid needs. And you also want to lock into outside supports,” Crawford explained.
For support, NAMI has a list of tools online.