The first few weeks of a new school year are exciting, but they can also bring stress that is easy to miss. New teachers, new classmates, harder coursework, and packed schedules ask a lot of children and teenagers, and it is common for anxiety or mood changes to surface right when everything else feels new.
Signs worth paying attention to
Every child adjusts differently, so there is no single sign that always means something is wrong. That said, parents and caregivers are often the first to notice patterns such as trouble sleeping, a sudden drop in appetite, avoiding school or friends, frequent stomachaches or headaches with no clear medical cause, or a shift in mood that lasts more than a couple of weeks. None of these automatically point to a diagnosis, but they are worth a conversation with a professional.
Talking with your child: Open-ended questions tend to work better than yes-or-no ones. Asking what part of the day felt hardest, rather than simply “how was school,” can open the door to a real conversation. It also helps to let your child know that needing support is common and nothing to be embarrassed about.
How Southeast Healthcare can help
Our Behavioral Health Services team works with children, teens, and families across our eight-county service area, using trauma-informed, evidence-based practices tailored to each patient. Because Southeast is built around integrated, whole person care, behavioral health support can work hand in hand with your child’s primary care provider rather than as a separate, disconnected service.
If your family is in Franklin, Delaware, Belmont, or any of our other seven service counties, you can find contact information for your local office on our Locations page. If you or your child are in crisis, call or text 988, or chat at 988Lifeline.org, for confidential support any time of day. For non-crisis appointments, reach our team at (614) 225-0990.