How much do parents know about common psychological and behavioral problems in childhood?

1. School phobia

Usually, at home, they are not sick, but when they go to school, they suddenly have inexplicable stomach or abdominal pain, and the symptoms disappear after they go home. In recent years, it has been found that the age of onset of this symptom has significantly decreased, and the duration has increased.

2. Adjustment problems

Primary school students begin to formally leave the home and go to school, where they spend time with their peers and receive a systematic education. They need to learn knowledge and abide by the rules and regulations of the school. Because primary school students have different personality foundations, some children will experience maladjustment. For example, they may develop a fever, vomiting, or abdominal pain as soon as they arrive at school, but no physical illness is found after examination at the hospital. These symptoms naturally ease when they return from the school environment to home. All of these are caused by maladjustment in primary school students.

3. Interpersonal relationship problems

The main manifestation is tense relationships with parents, teachers, and classmates. School-age children want to socialize with their peers, but don't know how, and sometimes deliberately provoke their classmates, and in severe cases, they may even fight.

4. Academic problems

Learning disabilities: One of the more common problems among primary school students, it refers to a group of syndromes in which there is no intellectual disability, learning skill impairment, visual or hearing impairment, environmental or educational deprivation, or primary emotional disturbance, but there are obstacles to acquiring specific learning skills such as reading, writing, calculation, and spelling.

School refusal: This refers to a loss of interest in school life, burnout, apathy, avoidance and resistance, as well as a lack of motivation to learn, inattentiveness in class, lack of concentration, lack of effort in homework, slow thinking, low learning efficiency, and even such undesirable behaviors as truancy, lying, and running away from home. The reasons for this are often related to inappropriate educational methods (such as excessive demands on the child by the school or parents, and excessive learning pressure), and the child not having developed good learning habits.

5. Emotional problems

Primary school students have not yet developed mature social skills, and most of them show their emotions easily and clearly. If parents and teachers can understand and respond to their emotions well and help them resolve the events or problems that cause emotional fluctuations, they will quickly get over their bad moods. However, if their emotions are not responded to correctly, or even if adults vent their emotions on them, over time, primary school students will develop a series of emotional problems, such as persistent low mood, being quiet and withdrawn, lack of concentration, or intense and irritable emotions, which are difficult to manage.

6. Other psychological problems

School age is a critical period for developing a good personality and character. If timely intervention measures are taken to address the common psychological problems mentioned above, children can develop smoothly and healthily. If they are not dealt with correctly and in a timely manner, they will have a lasting negative impact and eventually lead to serious psychological problems. Common ones are

6.1. **Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), **

also known as childhood hyperactivity disorder, is a common problem among children with psychological and behavioral disorders. The main characteristics are obvious inattention and short attention span, hyperactivity and impulsivity. Children with high activity levels are prone to fidgeting, and in the eyes of their parents, these children are considered to be deliberately “troublemakers”. These children have difficulty concentrating, poor muscle coordination, lack of inhibition, low frustration tolerance, emotional instability and irritability, often accompanied by learning difficulties or conduct disorders.

6.2. **Conduct disorder: **

Conduct disorder refers to persistent antisocial behavior, aggression and oppositional behavior in children and adolescents under the age of 18. It is mainly manifested in persistent and serious disciplinary violations, and is common among older children, such as truancy, theft, vandalism and aggression. These abnormal behaviors seriously violate the social norms of the corresponding age, and are more serious than the mischief of normal children and the rebellious behavior of adolescents.

6.3. Childophobia:

Fear is a relatively common psychological problem in children, and almost every child has experienced a fear response at some stage of their mental development. The most common fears among children are of animals, death, insects, the dark, and school. Children's fear of ghosts and gods and unknown objects seems commonplace, but if this fear persists, it will affect the child's normal life. There are three reasons for this fear: one is caused by a past scary experience (such as a sudden loud noise, intimidation from people around them), etc.; the second may be a substitute for anxiety; the third is the pressure brought about by social learning.

6.4. Tic disorder:

refers to the occurrence of tics in a group of muscles or two groups of muscles limited to a certain part of the body. Tics currently include blinking, raising eyebrows, frowning, smiling, stretching the neck, nodding the head, biting the lips, or mimicking a strange face, and can be accompanied by other behavioral disorders. They are more common in children over the age of 5, and more common in boys than in girls.

6.5. **Autism: **

A group of disorders characterized by severe isolation, lack of emotional response, language development disorders, stereotyped repetitive movements and strange reactions to the environment. Autism in children is less common and more common in boys, with a ratio of 3.6:1. It is a comprehensive developmental disorder that involves the interrelationships of a child's cognitive functions, socio-emotions, and socialization processes.