When to seek help at any age?
From the book – Chapter 12: Child, Teen and Adult Mental Health
When to seek help at any age
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Emotional or behavioural changes persist for weeks and affect daily life.
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Significant impairment in work, study, relationships, or self-care.
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Thoughts of self-harm, suicide, or harming others.
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Heavy substance use or dependence.
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Family, teachers, or colleagues express serious concern.
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Signs of psychosis, mania, severe trauma reactions, or cognitive decline.
Read the full chapter – Chapter 12: Child, Teen and Adult Mental Health
Stories from real life
- The Boy Who Could Not Sit Still – Aryan, nine, studies in a busy school in Ahmedabad. He cannot stay in his seat, forgets his homework, blurts out answers and loses his things. His…
- Sofia and the Glow of the Screen – Sofia, fifteen, lives in Johannesburg. She was a cheerful girl, but since moving to a new school she spends hours online comparing herself to girls who…
- Neha Stops Saying Yes – Neha, thirty-eight, is a project manager in Bengaluru and mother of two. Her day starts at five and ends at midnight: office calls, school lunches, in-laws'…
- Mr Iyer Forgets the Way Home – Mr Iyer, seventy-eight, a retired teacher in Chennai, took the same walk to the temple every morning for forty years. Last month he lost his way…
More on this topic: Children, teenagers and parents – mental health at home and school
More questions
- Infancy: before birth to two years – explained simply
- What infants need?
- What are the signs of mental health at every age? Signs of healthy early development
- Early childhood (2 to 6 years) – explained simply
- Common challenges and what they mean – early childhood (2 to 6 years)
- Supportive parenting – early childhood (2 to 6 years)
- Understanding life transitions and resilience – mental health at every age
- What builds resilience?
- What is true: ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) is most commonly diagnosed in…?
- Which is a warning sign of mental health issues in teenagers?
- Baby blues or postpartum depression?