20% of children will have mental or behavioral disorder, experts say
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — Mental health plays a vital role in overall health and well-being, even for children, experts say.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and May 9 is National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day.
Kelly Shively, COMCARE’s Children’s Therapy Clinic program manager, spoke about it on KSN News at Noon on Friday.
“About one in five, or 20% of American youth will have a diagnosable mental health, emotional, behavioral disorder at some point in their development,” she said. “ADHD is the number one diagnosis that we see, not just in our community, but across the nation as well, followed then by anxiety, behavioral disorders and then depression.”
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COMCARE is getting a headstart on raising awareness with a Children’s Mental Health Day this Saturday, May 4. The free event is at Osage Park, 2021 W. 32nd Street South, from 1-3 p.m.
It will include games, craft projects, face painting, therapy dogs, and information booths. Everyone is invited, not just COMCARE clients.
“(It’s) to raise awareness about the importance that children’s mental health plays in a child’s development,” Shively said. “We have a number of partner agencies that will be a part of it as well, and they’ll have information as well.”
COMCARE offers individual and family therapy and case management services. It also operates the 24/7 suicide hotline. The hotline number is 988 or 316-660-7500.
To learn about mental health resources for children, visit Youth Mental Health | Sedgwick County, Kansas.
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