Benefits of Taking Your Child to a Mental Health Professional

    Early mental health intervention can yield positive outcomes and help prevent future issues across various areas of a child’s development. This can include improvements in emotional, behavioral, academic, and social domains. Receiving care from mental health professionals (such as psychologists, psychiatrists, and counselors) can help improve emotional regulation, strengthen family relationships, enhance school performance, and support healthy long-term development (Simeonova, Akee & Copeland, 2023). 

Improved Emotional Well-Being

    Psychotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) have been found to help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression in youth (Dickson, Kuhnert, Lavell & Rapee, 2022; Cujipers et al., 2023). CBT and related treatments can help anxious children learn to manage fears and reduce avoidance, leading to significant decreases in anxiety symptoms and diagnoses (Dickson et al., 2022). Similarly, previous literature suggests that psychotherapy is effective for treating depression in children and adolescents, with roughly 54% of youth achieving clinically significant improvement with therapy (versus about 32% with no treatment) (Cujipers et al., 2023). These effects may be attributed to improvements in emotional regulation and self-esteem after engaging in therapy. Through techniques like reframing negative thoughts, recognizing emotions, and practicing relaxation or mindfulness, children and teens can learn healthier ways to identify and manage complex emotions. 

    Somatic therapy can be beneficial for youth who experience trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. Somatic therapies like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) and Somatic Experiencing (SE) are effective in helping youth process trauma by focusing on body-based memories and sensations rather than verbal recounting, which can be overwhelming for children (Classen et al., 2021). Body-focused therapies help children and adolescents increase awareness of bodily cues linked to stress and dysregulation, which enhances their ability to manage strong emotions like fear, anger, or sadness (Maldei, Maier & Burger, 2021). Additionally, EMDR and other somatic-based therapies have been linked to reductions in PTSD symptoms, particularly when trauma is stored as non-verbal, bodily memory in youth (Scelles & Bulnes, 2021).

    Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) has been widely studied as a treatment for adolescents with pervasive suicidal ideation (S/I), self-harm behaviors, and emotion dysregulation. It combines individual therapy, group skills training, coaching, and regular therapist sessions. DBT is grounded in three main theories: behavioral theory (changing problematic behaviors), biosocial theory (understanding emotional vulnerability and invalidation), and dialectical philosophy (balancing acceptance and change) (Rizvi et al., 2024). DBT for adolescents (DBT-A) consistently shows moderate to large effects in reducing self-harm, suicidal ideation, and emotional dysregulation compared to other therapies (Kothgassner et al., 2021; Syversen et al., 2024). Findings suggest that DBT-A leads to greater reductions in suicide attempts and overall self-harm, with benefits often sustained up to 1–3 years post-treatment. Among queer youth at high risk for suicide, many experienced significant improvements in emotion regulation, depression, borderline symptoms, and coping strategies  (Poon et al., 2022). DBT can help manage anger and other aspects of emotional dysregulation by utilizing coping strategies (Goldstein et al., 2023; Haktanir et al., 2023). These can include understanding anger and its sources, as well as learning how to channel and express anger more constructively. 

Social and Interpersonal Skills

    Therapy for children and adolescents can enhance their social skills and relationships with others. Many youth may struggle with peer interactions, and mental health professionals can help them develop the tools to navigate the social world more effectively. Through role-playing, group therapy sessions, or targeted social skills training, children learn and practice important interpersonal behaviors like sharing, assertiveness, active listening, and empathy (Addington et al., 2021). For adolescents, therapy can address issues like peer pressure, loneliness, or communication difficulties. By discussing their social experiences in counseling, teens often gain perspective and confidence in handling relationships. Therapists may coach them on strategies for dealing with bullying or exclusion, which can aid in building resilience (Gubbels et al., 2021; Gilmore et al., 2022).

Academic and School Performance

    Mental health treatment for youth is linked not only to personal well-being but also to improved academic performance and school outcomes. Research shows that effective therapy can produce meaningful gains in various academically relevant areas (Sulimani-Aidan & Melkman, 2021). Psychotherapy showed an overall positive effect on academic-related outcomes, including improvements in classroom attendance, academic achievement test scores, and self-reported school adjustment (Cujipers et al., 2023). Therapy often targets skills that are crucial for academic success, such as organization, time management, and problem-solving. Many interventions aid in teaching children how to plan tasks or cope with stress. By boosting hope and self-esteem, therapy helps children feel more connected and competent at school. 

Long-Term Developmental Benefits

    Early mental health intervention can yield long-term benefits that extend into adolescence and adulthood. In a longitudinal study tracking children who received mental health treatment versus those who did not, the treated children were found to have fewer depression and anxiety symptoms by age 30. They also achieved better economic and educational outcomes in adulthood compared to their untreated peers (Simeonova et al., 2023). This suggests that getting help early not only improves how a child is doing in the present but also sets them up for a more successful and stable future. 

References:​

• Addington, J., Liu, L., Santesteban‐Echarri, O., Brummitt, K., Braun, A., Cadenhead, K. S., Cornblatt, B. A., Holden, J. L., & Granholm, E. (2021). Cognitive behavioural social skills training: Methods of a randomized controlled trial for youth at risk of psychosis. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 15(6). https://doi.org/10.1111/eip.13102
• Classen, C. C., Pain, C., Field, N. P., & Woods, P. (2021). Somatic approaches to treating complex trauma in youth. Journal of Child and Adolescent Trauma, 14(2), 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40653-021-00349-z​
• Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E., Ciharova, M., Miguel, C., Noma, H., Stikkelbroek, Y., & Furukawa, T. A. (2023). The effects of psychological treatments of depression in children and adolescents on response, reliable change, and deterioration: A systematic review and meta-analysis. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 32(1), 177–192. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-021-01884-6
• Dickson, S. J., Kuhnert, R. L., Lavell, C. H., & Rapee, R. M. (2022). Impact of psychotherapy for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders on global and domain-specific functioning: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 25(4), 720–736. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10567-022-00402-7
• Gilmore, R., Ziviani, J., Chatfield, M. D., Goodman, S., & Sakzewski, L. (2022). Social skills group training in adolescents with disabilities: A systematic review. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 125, 104-118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104218
• Goldstein, T. R., Merranko, J., Rode, N., Sylvester, R., Hotkowski, N. J., Fersch-Podrat, R., Hafeman, D., Rasim Somer Diler, Sakolsky, D., Franzen, P. L., & Birmaher, B. (2023). Dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents with bipolar disorder. JAMA Psychiatry, 81(1). https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.3399
• Gubbels, J., van der Stouwe, T., Castenmiller, Y. L., van der Zouwen, M., Asscher, J. J., Hoeve, M., van der Laan, P. H., & Stams, G. J. J. M. (2020). The effectiveness of social skills training (SST) for juvenile delinquents: A meta-analytical review. Journal of Experimental Criminology, 17(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11292-020-09419-w
• Haktanir, A., Aydil, D., Baloğlu, M., & Kesici, Ş. (2023). The use of dialectical behavior therapy in adolescent anger management: A systematic review. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 28(3), 135910452211480. https://doi.org/10.1177/13591045221148075
• Kothgassner, O. D., Goreis, A., Robinson, K., Huscsava, M. M., Schmahl, C., & Plener, P. L. (2021). Efficacy of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescent self-harm and suicidal ideation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine, 51(7), 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291721001355
• Maldei, T., Maier, H., & Burger, M. (2021). Somatic experiencing in youth trauma treatment: A pilot study. Traumatology, 27(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000272 
• Poon, J., Galione, J. N., Grocott, L. R., Horowitz, K. J., Kudinova, A. Y., & Kim, K. L. (2022). Dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents (DBT‐A): Outcomes among sexual minorities at high risk for suicide. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 52(3). https://doi.org/10.1111/sltb.12828
• Rizvi, S. L., Bitran, A. M., Oshin, L. A., Yin, Q., & Ruork, A. K. (2024). The state of the science: Dialectical behavior therapy. Behavior Therapy, 55(6). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2024.02.006
• Scelles, R. & Bulnes, M. (2021). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in child trauma. Child and Youth Care Forum, 50(2), 211–229. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-020-09578-w
• Simeonova, E., Akee, R., & Copeland, W. (2023). Child mental health, family circumstance, and long-term success: The effect of household income. Journal of Human Resources, 59, 77-107. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.1222-12709R2
• Sulimani‐Aidan, Y., & Melkman, E. (2022). School belonging and hope among at‐risk youth: The contribution of academic support provided by youths’ social support networks. Child and Family Social Work, 27(4), 700-710. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12918
• Syversen, A. M., Schønning, V., Fjellheim, G. S., Elgen, I., & Wergeland, G. J. (2024). Evaluation of dialectical behavior therapy for adolescents in routine clinical practice: a pre-post study. BMC Psychiatry, 24(1), 447. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-024-05876-z