What do you think re today's report that 100% more children have a mental health problem?

Question

This headlines on Yahoo! news. I am interested, as I am conjouring up a theory about society and psychological problems and I would really welcome all input. Thank you

Guys, Many thanks for all your input so far. This is why the internet is SO successful. It brings so many people together with different views. Perhaps, reading between the lines, I guess we are in a lazy soxiety brought up by parents lacking parental skills and patience...does this mean that it is the generation before that that failed us??

Answer 1

its a load of rubbish.

Answer 2

I know quite a few children with ADHD, 2 of whom are being treated with drugs.

From the outside, looking in, the children that I know that suffer with it all have mad and very random home lives. Their families are all very full on and stressy kind of people and the children are all totally over stimulated. I think the children are just a result of this, not an actual problem.

Nowadays, I think we look for something to blame peoples behaviour on that exonerates the parents from responsibility.

There must be children that genuinally have the disorder but I think the increase in mental health problems is due to some children being diagnosed with problems such as ADHD when actually they've just had a mad, unstable homelife rather than an actual real problem.

Answer 3

Even if you take into consideration reporting now vs then, I think there is an increase in mental health problems in general. Kids are not excluded from that.

Everything gets a label now, and I'm not so sure that's a great thing. 35 years ago I went to school with a boy whom I am certain now would be labeled with Asbergers. He struggled academically and somewhat socially, but was absolutely a brilliant mechanic, could do phenomenal electronic repair, and was able to solve technical problems with astounding proficiency.

We went on to graduate together. I ran into him awhile back. He has a great life, married, kids, friends...I wonder it that would have been the case had he been "identified" and labeled. Labels tend to create artificial limits. I think he has accomplished so much because it never occurred to him that he couldn't.

Answer 4

I think alot of parent's don't want to take responsibility for how much they screwed up their kids throughout the years so they throw some mental health disorder label on them so they can explain to people around them what's wrong with the child. They don't want to say "I guess everything I've put my children through has really effected them." Sure some kids really do have mental health issues. But 100% more then 80 years ago?? You've got to be kidding me. Kids back then weren't all doped up and they still managed to function properly. Kids these days are on so much medication they can't even tell you their own name.

Answer 5

I think that the scientific community has gone too far into the study and they are trying to keep their jobs; so they will naturally find in their mind a reason to continue probing . If the children do not reflect a favorable response from their education and social interaction it can only be, because science wants answers now. Just let the children grow up and tell their own side of learning to live within such structures. let the children say what they have understood, not what science understands.do not speak for them but liston to what they say.

Answer 6

I think that 100% more lazy parents are allowing their children to be diagnosed with mental health problems (i.e. ADD, etc) as an excuse for bad behavior and poor parenting. Too many parents are looking for any excuse to drug their kids into submission so that they don't have to put up with the inconvenience of actually having to either disipline the little brats or spend quality time teaching them any real manners.

Answer 7

I think part of it is that we did not have the ability to diagnose and keep records like we do today 80 years ago. But I think some of it is just neglect, lack of values being taught, etc. A lot of kids suffer from depression, anxiety, etc brought on my demographics - fighting parents, parents that are never home, living in poverty stricken areas, etc...I think the breakdown of the family unit has a lot to do with mental health in kids but some things like autism, etc....are probably just better diagnosed now! And with the evolution of man comes the evolution of disease and illness.

Answer 8

Since both of my grandsons have mental and emotional problems, then I say yes, something is going on somewhere! Who knows what polution they are putting in our water!
MY 11 year old grandson had behavior problems and the seven year old has bi-polarism! And let me tell you, That is NOT all in our heads! Something is wrong! Also my granddaughter is Autistic! So you tell me, where is all this stuff coming from? The bi-polar is inherited from his mother, but not the other problems that the other two have!

Answer 9

You do realize that "100% MORE" could mean going from 1 to 2?? Using % increase to characterize growth can be quite misleading depending on what the original size was.

Answer 10

I think that mental health problems are recognised today more than they used to be. But in some cases they can be over-diagnosed. For example, some children may cut themselves but do not have a mental illness, they are doing it to be "cool" or whatever.

Answer 11

I think most mental problems in children are invented, including ADHD and Dyslexia. There is nothing wrong with them at all. These are just more invented problems that someone is going to get rich from