Diane Kelly Andreou, MD, is a clinical psychologist and director of the Boys Town Center Behavioral Health Clinic in South Florida. She is also the mother of a teenager. She is very interested in providing quality interventions to ensure that today's children become successful adults.  
Our children and adolescents are facing a mental health crisis. They sleep less and are less physically active and spend less time in person with their friends than previous generations. The pandemic has intensified these factors. Mental health during childhood and adolescence includes reaching developmental milestones, developing social skills, learning to regulate emotions, succeeding in school, and learning to cope with challenges. Mental and behavioral disorders cause distress and can significantly change behavior, the way of learning and managing emotions.  
A common childhood mental health problem is anxiety. Anxiety is not a disorder; Fears and worries, such as the dark, storms, or an upcoming exam, are typical during childhood. When fears and worries interfere with school, family life, and relationships, an anxiety disorder may occur.
Here are some ways anxiety can interfere with functioning:    
* Fear of being away from parents, excessive crying or worry at the thought of separation, and fear regarding the health or safety of the parents.
* Having an extreme fear of a specific thing or situation.
* Being afraid of school or situations where there are people.
* Having many worries such as the future, school or bad things happen.
* Having repeated episodes of sudden, intense fear and physical symptoms such as shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, tremors, or sweating.
Many children have no words to express their anxiety symptoms.
Fear or worry may take the form of trouble sleeping or going to bed alone, fatigue, irritable/grumpy mood, difficulty concentrating, refusal at school, or stomach aches or headaches. Many anxious children are calm, obedient, and eager to please others. Anxiety can benefit from behavioral and cognitive-behavioral therapy. 

​Another common childhood disorder is Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It is a persistent pattern of behaviors that interfere with development or functioning in different settings, such as home and school. Children with ADHD often have other problems, such as speech and language delays, poor writing, social rejection, and learning difficulties. Symptoms of inattention include careless errors, difficulty sustaining attention, poor follow-through, avoidance of tasks that require sustained mental effort, loss of items needed for tasks, and distraction. Hyperactive/impulsive behaviors include fidgeting, leaving seat frequently, excessive talking, blurting out responses, difficulty taking turns, and interrupting. ADHD can benefit from behavior management strategies at home and behavioral interventions and adaptations at school. Behavioral intervention is often combined with medication. Almost everyone has mood swings. Many may experience sadness with losses or setbacks. Depression interferes with the ability to sleep, eat, and handle daily responsibilities at home, school, or work. It can occur at any age, but it often first appears in the teens or early 20s.