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Children's Emotional, Behaviour and Mental Health Problems - Severity Guidelines
In order to judge the severity of a child's emotional, behaviour or mental health problems use the following guidelines. If you feel that the problem(s) is more severe than 'slight' consult a mental health professional, doctor or qualified play therapist as soon as possible. You might also use the Goodmans Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) see – www.sdqinfo.com – in consultation with a PTI Certified Play Therapist.
| Degree |
Impact |
Examples |
| Slight |
Temporary impairment of well being; minor loss of functioning |
Hospitalisation for a minor operation causing mental distress; loss of a pet |
| Mild |
Some loss of well being, on going impairment of functioning preventing the child reaching their full potential Unresolved relationship |
issues: friendships, sibling rivalries |
| Moderate |
Child feels emotionally unwell, considerable impairment of functioning, problems need to be dealt with promptly to prevent further deterioration. Stress and trauma – eg parents are in the process of divorcing and the family is injured in a road accident
Severe Mental illness or disorder child at risk and unable to function as a normal person. |
Repeated physical and sexual abuse from several sources |
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