Mental health in children and teens

The term “mental health” includes emotional and psychological well-being. Your mental health guides how you handle stress, manage relationships, and make decisions. Mental health, like physical health, is important to your family’s overall well-being. 

Emotions like sadness, anger, or stress are normal and healthy responses to difficult life events, such as a cancer diagnosis. However, sometimes persistent feelings of sadness, stress, or anxiety can be caused by a mental health disorder. Don't ignore any of these feelings. Talk to your child’s healthcare team or your own doctor about how they—and you—are feeling. 

When to ask for help for mental health concerns  

Although everyone can benefit from caring for their mental health, the following are signs that you or your child may need to seek additional mental health support: 

• Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and anxiety
• Fatigue and lack of energy
• Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, or helplessness
• Irritability
• Restlessness
• Sleep disturbances or excessive sleeping
• Overeating or a loss of appetite
• A loss of interest in hobbies or activities you or your child once enjoyed
• An inability to focus or concentrate, make decisions, or remember details
• Headaches, stomachaches, or digestive problems, cramps, and other aches and pains that don't respond to treatment
• Thoughts of death or suicide 

Seek medical advice if you or your child’s symptoms or mood doesn't improve over time. If you're feeling anxious, sad, or depressed during most of every day for two weeks, ask your doctor for help and guidance. 

If you or a loved one is experiencing a mental health crisis, dial 988 to talk to a trained mental health professional. The  988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline  is free, confidential, and always available. For the Crisis Text Line, text HOME to 741741.

Mental health disorders 

Your best resource for a diagnosis is a trained mental health professional who will make an accurate diagnosis and create a treatment plan for you or your child. Common mental health disorders of people diagnosed with cancer are: 

• Depression
• Anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), and panic disorder 
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 

Physical effects of mental health disorders

Depression and anxiety might cause symptoms similar to the side effects of cancer and treatment, such as fatigue, nausea, decreased appetite, cognitive (thinking) changes, and sleep problems. This makes it difficult to identify depression and anxiety disorders in people with cancer. 

Unaddressed mental health issues may also make it challenging to follow your child’s treatment plan or keep medical appointments. 

Long-term, unmanaged stress can suppress the immune system, decreasing the body’s ability to fight infection, and increasing the risk for serious illnesses like heart disease and stroke.

How to find a mental health provider  

 To find a mental health provider, you can: 

• Ask your doctor or insurance provider for a referral
• Visit Find a Social Worker for help in searching for local or online mental health professionals
• Visit Association of Oncology Social Workers to find an oncology social worker (OSW) near you 
• Ask family or friends for a recommendation

Connecting with others  

Isolation is common among cancer patients, and it is a risk factor for depression and anxiety disorders. Connecting with other people who have also experienced cancer can be very helpful. To connect with others, LLS offers: 

• Blood Cancer United Community, an online meeting place to talk to others and receive resources
• Weekly Online Chats, moderated by an oncology social worker 
• The Patti Robinson Kaufmann First Connection® program for peer-to-peer support
• Family Support Groups  

You can also reach out to a Blood Cancer  Information Specialist at (800) 955-4572 for more resources. Ask your healthcare team about local support groups. 

What you can do 

While it's important that you discuss you or your child’s depression and anxiety with a doctor and get professional help, there are also some things you can do to help yourself and your child: 

• Understand that cancer doesn't define who someone is. Be in touch and connect with people and activities that are separate from your child’s cancer diagnosis. They are more than a cancer patient, and there are many more aspects to both your lives than their cancer.
• Set small, manageable goals. For example, if you or your child find it hard to get out of bed, set a goal of accomplishing just one thing a day: Make a phone call, cook dinner, take a walk—whatever works best.
• Don't isolate. Try to ensure you both have social interaction at least once a day with someone outside of the healthcare community.
• Strive for some light physical activity. It can be as simple as going outside to the mailbox each day. Gradually build up the amount of activity you or your child can handle.
• Help them engage in activities beyond the cancer experience. Read a magazine article, play, make art, draw, color, or watch a sitcom. Whether the activity is mundane or meaningful, the point is to distract the self from negative emotions.
• Journal. Writing down feelings can help you or your child work through and process emotions. Order our free Write It Out  journal.