In general, children’s mental health isn’t treated the same way as physical health. If your kid falls out of a tree, you’d cart them off to the hospital to fix that broken leg (although, a small percentage will opt for them to “rub some dirt in it”). If kids get depressed, it’s usually “chin up” and hope it’s a phase.

Mental health problems are often thought of as something that happen to other people. But they’re more common than we think. In fact, 1 in 5 Americans have mental health problems, and if these problem go untreated, it makes life a whole lot harder.

That’s why Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, psychologist and President of the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation, wants parents to be proactive about their children’s mental health. Because when you notice that there’s something wrong, you can help — by getting them some help.

[Read the full article at Fatherly]