Attitudes About Children's Mental Health

All kids misbehave sometimes, but some children suffer from a genuine psychiatric or learning disorder that affects their behavior and ability to succeed in school. "Stigma, lack of awareness, and fear around mental health care prevent many parents and teachers from getting kids the support they need," says Parents advisor Harold Koplewicz, M.D., president of the Child Mind Institute (CMI). To get a better understanding of parents' attitudes and misconceptions about children's mental health, we conducted an online survey of more than 1,000 parents. Here are highlights from the Child Mind Institute and Parents survey.

96% of parents said... They would want their child's pediatrician to tell them if he thought their child should be evaluated for a psychiatric or learning disorder.

83% of parents said... They would want their child's teacher to tell them if he thought their child should be evaluated for a psychiatric or learning disorder.

74% of parents said... Kids are often put on medication as a quick and easy fix.

72% of parents said... Doctors and parents are too quick to put kids on medication for ADHD rather than looking for other solutions.

63% of parents said... Too many children are being diagnosed with ADHD when they just have behavioral issues.

52% of parents said... Starting kids on medication so young in life is dangerous.

50% of parents said... Many doctors downplay the risks associated with putting kids on medication to treat ADHD and depression.

45% of parents said... Normal children are being labeled as mentally ill or having learning disorders simply because their teachers can't handle them.

45% of parents said... Kids with learning disorders tend to have other behavioral issues that hamper their learning.

32% of parents said... ADHD is sometimes more a result of insufficient or absent parenting rather than a true medical condition.

16% of parents said... Kids who take medication now are more prone to drug or alcohol addiction later in life.

13% of parents said... ADHD should not be treated as a medical condition, but rather as a behavioral issue that can be corrected with discipline.

10% of parents said... Extended time on standardized tests give children with learning disorders an unfair advantage.

6% of parents said... Psychiatric or learning disorders are more common in single parent families.

Published in May 2012.