Photo: Getty Images
My son was three when I took him to see a mental health professional for the first time. Ari was little, but challenging in so many ways. He refused to walk outside when it rained. He?d scream whenever water splashed on his clothes. He would never fingerpaint in nursery school; he didn?t like to get his hands dirty. By the time he developed an obsessive habit of tucking in chairs at the kitchen table, I knew it was time to do something.
I first described his symptoms to our paediatrician. ?This sounds a little outside the norm. I?m going to refer you to a child psychiatrist,? he said, scribbling notes into Ari?s chart. I looked at my son, so gorgeous and complex, and realized I was scared.
What if something really was wrong with his mental health" What if it was serious" I wanted to backtrack. Maybe this was a big overreaction. So what if Ari wanted to tiptoe through the rain" Was there any harm in using a paintbrush instead of his fingers" As we drove to the appointment a few weeks later, I felt sick to my stomach. The truth about kids? mental health

Statistics from the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre, one of Canada?s leading children?s mental health centres, indicates that one in five children suffer from a mental health problem, including depression, anxiety and conduct disorders. This can lead to family crises, school disruption, violent behaviour or even suicide in extreme cases. Early intervention makes a big difference in improving a ...