Mental Health and Your Child

Mental illnesses are the least spoken about disorders in children, especially in black communities. A child will be labelled as ‘naughty’ or ‘stubborn’ for being withdrawn as a result of a mental trauma they may be suffering. Parents usually find it difficult to differentiate between their child’s normal behaviour and mental issues because of the lack of vocabulary for children to express just how they feel.

Family discussions about mental illness are usually swept under the carpet as a result of the stigma attached to it.

Last year, studies conducted by the Mental Health and Poverty Project researchers found that