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You may have heard people say, “Don’t mind me, I'm just so OCD”, as they clean their house or organize their books. In wider society, describing oneself or someone else as “OCD” is a way to convey that they like things to be organized and neat, or they will feel somewhat distressed. The label “OCD” has been co-opted by common language, but clinically, it describes a very distressing series of intrusive thoughts and compulsions that can take up a large portion of an individual’s time and energy.

This is a real interview with the caregiver of a six-year-old boy diagnosed with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He and his caregivers engaged with a course of Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), followed by Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). Participating in the METRIC Grant, his treatment included work with himself, his pre-adoptive foster parents, and his biological mother. Prior to living with his current family, he experienced a tumultuous life, witnessing violence in the home with biological parents and being moved between multiple foster care homes.

It’s incredibly difficult to know what the right thing to do is when you have a child or a teen who is experiencing depression. It can be hard to talk openly about scary topics like self-harm and suicide, and caregivers often wonder if mentioning them is the appropriate thing to do at all.

A common mental health myth is that only adults and older adolescents can be depressed. In fact, kids and younger teens may experience depression too. In 2018-2019, 15% of adolescents reported experiencing a major depressive episode and 37% reported experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Depression presents differently person to person and often is not just someone who seems really sad or down. In fact, for kids and teens, depression can look quite different. Depression spans a variety of symptom presentations including persistent tiredness, irritability, behavioral outbursts, isolation, and more.

A new school year means a new team of teachers and school professionals to partner with you in supporting your child. For caregivers with children experiencing mental health issues, communicating with the school team can be useful for ensuring everyone is on the same page. Teachers and school counselors often have insights to success and challenges kids experience at school that parents may not be aware of. Keeping the line of communication open and healthy is key. Here are some ways to engage with your kid’s school team about their mental health in a respectful and productive way.