Children’s symptoms vary depending on the type of mental illness, but some of the general symptoms include:

• Changes in school performance, such as poor grades despite good efforts
• Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol
• Inability to cope with daily problems and activities
• Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
• Excessive complaints of physical ailments
• Defying authority, skipping school, stealing, or damaging property
• Intense fear of gaining weight
• Long-lasting negative moods, often accompanied by poor appetite and thoughts of death
• Frequent outbursts of anger
• Loss of interest in friends and activities they usually enjoy
• Significant increase in time spent alone
• Excessive worrying or anxiety
• Hyperactivity
• Persistent nightmares or night terrors
• Persistent disobedience or aggressive behavior
• Frequent temper tantrums
• Hearing voices or seeing things that are not there (hallucinations)