Early Warning Signs of Mental Health Issues: When Parents Should Worry

Margaret Migliorati, MA, LPCC, NCC
The EARLY Program

As a parent of a college student, this can be an exciting time as you watch your child expand, mature and attain new independence. However, as with any major transition in life, college can also be a time of uncertainty and stress. Most young people will successfully weather this stress as they develop new coping skills and inner strengths. But sometimes your child is not able to "bounce back" and may need more assistance.

The question that often plagues parents is how to know when their child is experiencing a "normal" response to stress versus when there is something more serious happening. Research consistently indicates that approximately 75% of all diagnosable mental illnesses begin by the age of 24. This means that college-aged individuals are in a period of life that is particularly vulnerable to the onset of a mental illness.

The good news is that, just like with many medical disorders, mental illnesses are highly treatable, especially if they are caught early. In fact, studies suggest that when the community learns the early warning signs of mental illness, young people are more likely to get treated in the earliest stages of a disorder and they get better faster. This makes awareness of the early warning signs of a mental illness critical for all of us to learn. These signs include the following:

• Drop in functioning including ability to do schoolwork or to take care of basic needs
• Withdrawal from family and friends
• Ongoing difficulties with eating or sleeping
• Loss of pleasure or motivation
• Difficulty concentrating
• Persistent anxiety/worry
• New, odd beliefs or behaviors
• Extreme moods
• Confusing thoughts or speech
• Hearing or seeing things
• Suicidal or homicidal thoughts

In Albuquerque we have a unique program aimed at teaching the community these early warning signs and providing early treatment for young people who may be developing a mental illness called EARLY (Early Assessment and Resource Linkage for Youth). EARLY is a joint effort between the University of New Mexico Department of Psychiatry and The Mind Research Network and is located on the UNM North Campus.

At EARLY, we work with the entire family to stop the progression of a serious mental illness. If you notice any of the above warning signs in your child, please take action immediately. Together we can keep our children healthy and help them to achieve the promise of their young lives.

For more information about EARLY please call 1-888-NM-EARLY (663-2759) or go to our website at www.earlyprogram.org.

You may also contact the UNM Student Health and Counseling Center, which serves current UNM students, if you have any concerns about your child's mental health at 505-277-4537.