1 Websites for Parents Larraine Kember School of Psychology, Northcentral University PSY-6705 V2: Child and Adolescent Psychopathology Dr. Tonya Trepinski-Ochoa January 20, 2022 2 Websites for Parents When a parent finds out that their child has a behavioral disorder, they look for more information, which used to include visiting a library, or obtaining information from their doctor. Since the inception of the internet and Google, parents can research from their own homes to learn more about their child’s diagnosis. The problem is how do they determine a website that has reliable information? Listed below are five websites that parents can visit which contains reliable information. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Children’s Mental Health (https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/index.html) The Centers for Disease Control and prevention provides information to parents on statistics, conditions, development, care, symptoms, and treatment of childhood mental disorders such as anxiety, depression, and ADHD. Parents can view various disorders and obtain information on symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment for them in both English and Spanish. An interactive section of the site is for children and adolescents to learn to deal with emotions and ideas in a way that is healthy (CDC, 2021). There are also videos for parents, teens, and children to learn coping strategies during the pandemic. The DSM has changed over the years with regard to anxiety disorders. In the DSM-III and DSM IV the disorder was within the chapter where the disorder bean in infancy, however, the DSM-5 places it within the chapter on anxiety disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). The articles within the site are backed by sites such as the FDA and JAACAP, as well as academic articles in the Journal of Pediatrics, JAMA, and Journal of Clinical Child and Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychology many published within the past 5 years. The authors of 3 these articles are professionals in the field of psychology and represent various government agencies. The articles and videos provide suggestions that a parent can use to help them to further understand the issue their child is having, and additional websites to obtain further information. If I were a parent of a child with a behavioral disorder, I would find this website very helpful as I began to understand what my child was dealing with and how I can better understand and help them. This site is credible as it is a government website dedicated to various diseases. This site would be a first episode of problem behavior. MedlinePlus: Child Behavior disorders (https://medlineplus.gov/childbehaviordisorders.html) MedlinePlus’ website is generally geared towards parents but does have some content for adolescents. The information on the website will assist parents in understanding their child’s behavior and aid on when to be concerned (MedlinePlus, 2021). The site is part of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), which is a part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The director of the NLM is Dr. Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD., who is a researcher for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NIH). Content on the site comes from papers written by professionals and published on the MedlinePlus website. All the author’s work is reviewed by the site for accuracy, and there is a high level of credibility. In addition, all the articles are supported by research. The information provided was easy for the layperson to understand and links to journal articles and clinical trials are provided (MedlinePlus, 2021). The site also seems to be updated regularly. Specific issues addressed on the website are Aggressive behavior, separation anxiety, conduct disorder, disobedience, disruptive behavior disorders, fighting and biting, oppositional 4 defiant disorder (ODD), shyness, swearing, temper tantrums, and violent behavior. As a parent, I would find the information within the site to be very helpful. I also feel that the site is credible based on the research and journal articles provided. The site would fall under the first episode, or possibly chronic behaviors as it does provide a lot of information and links to find help from a therapist. MentalHealth.Gov: Behavioral disorders (https://www.mentalhealth.gov/what-to-look-for/behavioral-disorders) MentalHealth.Gov aims to provide information and education to schools, communities, business leaders and governments, policy makers, and professionals of health and emergency preparedness (MentalHealth.gov, 2017). The information contained in the site comes from the CDC, MedlinePlus, NIH, NIMH, Substance Abs and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and youth.gov. The site is broken down into the following areas: Those with problems in mental health, young people looking for assistance, parents and caregivers, family and friends, educators, leaders of community and faith, and community conversations. Looking specifically at the section for parents’ and caregivers, the page offers ideas on signs to look for in a child suffering from a mental health problem (MentalHealth.gov, 2017). Ideas include talking about mental health, and some events that can trigger an issue, such as: divorce, loss of loved one, bullying, issues with classmates, major transitions, and life experiences that are traumatic. Specific information on supporting a child with mental health issues such as how they are diagnosed and treated, and the national suicide prevention number. All the information is supported by research from the sites that provide the information. Suggestions on how to talk to a child experiencing mental health issues are given. This site 5 would be helpful to parents in the beginning throws of mental awareness in their child to find additional resources they can use to help them understand how to best advocate for their child. Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD): https://chadd.org/ CHADD deals specifically those diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and was founded in 1987. The site aims to provide evidenced-based information on ADHD, support those affected by it, and advocate for policies for the public. CHADD provides a helpline, newsletters, training, and digital media for parents to help their child. CHADD also has a National Resource Center (NRC) that provides information on professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and pediatricians, that allow families to make informed decisions when it comes to choosing a provider (CHADD, 2021). Since the site is intended for parents and families, the information is clear and easy to understand, and support for parents is conveyed throughout the site. The information and resources provided are credible and as a parent of a child with ADHD, I would find the site to be very credible. The information contained in the site would be a first episode progression level, however information in the NRC might also give information helpful to parents experiencing chronic or recurring problems. An interesting note to this website is the omittance of any differentiation of ADHD-HI, ADHD-C, and ADHD-I, as discussed by Beauchaine (2016), although they appear to work in all levels of ADHD. Beauchaine defines ADHD-HI as adding hyperactivity and impulsivity to ADHD, which is defined as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, ADHD-C as meeting both criteria set, evident prior to age 12 (2016). ADHD is the most common disorder according to a study by Korczak along with major depressive disorder (MDD) (2017). 6 Child Mind Institute: https://childmind.org/. When conducting a Google search for “support for parents with behavior problems” the second site to come up is Child Mind Institute. The first thing I noticed about this site is that the support is not free. They do have some information on the website about how they can assist with certain issues such as ADHD, autism, ODD, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety developmental disorders, dyslexia, and neuropsychological testing. Unfortunately, all the services cost a fee. They do have a resource center, and when searching for behavior problems they offer a complete guide to managing behavior problems, which upon further review does have some helpful information. The information provided, however, whether this information is back by research is not clear, although the language used is clear to the reader. There are suggestions given, but again there is a credibility question on where their information came from. Another issue with the site is the constant pop-up of their success stories, presumably to entice the parent to pay for their services. I am unclear if this site is credible, and I would not find it helpful. I would continue my search to find a site that offers free information to help me with my child. Conclusion There are numerous websites to gain information and support for parents dealing with behavioral issues in their children. The first four sites listed offered various assistance for parents trying to get a better understanding of their child’s behaviors, and I would recommend them, while the last site is not really offering free information and support. 7 References American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association. Beauchaine, T. P., & Hayden, E. P. (2016). Child and adolescent disorders. In J. C. Norcross, G. R. VandenBos, D. K. Freedheim, N. Pole, J. C. Norcros. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, 09/23). Children’s Mental Health. https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/index.html. Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (CHADD). (2021). https://chadd.org/. Korczak, D. J., Ofner, M., LeBlanc, J., Wong, S., Feldman, M., & Parkin, P. C. (2017). Major Depressive Disorder Among Preadolescent Canadian Children: Rare Disorder or Rarely Detected? Academic Pediatrics, 17(2), 191–197. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2016.10.011. MedlinePlus. (2021, 08/10). Child Behavior disorders. https://medlineplus.gov/childbehaviordisorders.html. MentalHealth.Gov. (2017, 08/23). Behavioral disorders. https://www.mentalhealth.gov/what-tolook-for/behavioral-disorders.
