Child Development – Its

relation to mental health in

children
A personal view
Aman U Shaikh
Child Adolescent & Family Psychiatrist
London
Child Development in 5 fingers

Emotional
Social
Intellectual
Psycho-
sexual

Physical

Conception
Conception

• What can go wrong ?

• Accidental/Unwanted pregnancy
• Teenage pregnancy
• Hostile Experience in pregnancy
• Maternal illness/Physical/Mental
• Difficult childbirth

Leading to Lack of attachment/bonding/Rejection

Physical Development

• What can go wrong?

• Small baby/premature
• Large/obese baby
• Tall child
• Short child
• Bat-ears
• Ethnic child
Intellectual Development

• What can go wrong ?

• Too bright child
• Not so bright child
• Dyslexic child
• Idiot – savant
Emotional Development
Basic Emotions: Happiness, Sadness, Anger

• What can go wrong ?

• Behaviour Problems – Conduct Disorder/ODD
• Attention/Hyperactivity
• Elective Mutism
• Tic Disorder/Stuttering
• Anxiety/Separation/Phobias/School refusal
• Depressive Disorder of Childhood
• Emotional effects of : Enuresis/Encopresis
• Emotional/Physical/Sexual Abuse
• Suicide/Self-harm
Social Development
Freud: Id - Ego - Super ego

• What can go wrong?

• Antisocial behaviour/Conduct disorder
• Drug/Alcohol abuse
• Criminality
Psycho-sexual Development
Freud : Sexual stages of development

• What can go wrong?

• Boys/Girls Differentiation
• Boys : Girls - 4 : 1 in most disorders
• Sexualised behaviour
• Sexual identity confusion
• Gender identity Disorder
• Homosexuality
• Sexual Promiscuity/ STD
• Early Pregnancy
• Sexual Deviation
• Eating Disorders/Anorexia/Bulimia nervosa