Study: Tiny tots may have mental health problems also

March 8th, 2011 - 9:22 pm ICT by Aishwarya Bhatt  

New York, Mar 8 (THAINDIAN NEWS) A new study has concluded that when it comes to mental illness there is no age limit. The study revealed that tiny toddlers are not exempt from mental health.

The study was published in the February edition of the journal American Psychologist.

The researchers disbanded the belief held by many people including some doctors that infants are immune to mental illness. According to the researchers, this erroneous impression has led to many of those mental illnesses being left untreated. The study authors say leaving mental illness untreated in infants may lead to a much bigger problem when the child grows up.

They explained that, “Infants make meaning about themselves and their relation to the world of people and things. Some infants may come to make meaning of themselves as helpless and hopeless, and they may become apathetic, depressed and withdrawn. Others seem to feel threatened by the world and may become hyper-vigilant and anxious.”

The research was carried out by researchers from Louisiana State University and the University of California, San Francisco. They propose that there should be more screening in toddlers for early detection of mental illness.

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