Assessing Children’s Mental Health Before Returning to School

Nevada Mental Health's child psychiatrist Dr. Timothy Jeider was interviewed by Las Vegas Channel 8 News on the topic of how to assess a child's mental health before they head back to school in the New Year. He suggested looking for changes in behavior, such as a child abruptly changing their routine, skipping out on family activities, and isolating in their room. Other indicators of depression or anxiety include irritability, crankiness, and unexplained physical sickness. Dr. Jeider advises parents to reach out to their community and find a provider to do an assessment to determine if the behavior is typical or if more in-depth help is needed.