Emotional Disturbance

An emotional disturbance is a commonly used umbrella term for a number of different mental disorders. Emotional disturbances can affect a student’s physical, social, and cognitive skills. Some of the characteristics and behaviors seen in children who have an emotional disturbance include aggression, withdrawal, immaturity, and learning difficulties. Children with more serious emotional disturbances may exhibit distorted thinking, excessive anxiety, bizarre motor acts, and abnormal mood swings. An evaluation can help determine the need for educational and mental health supports for students with an emotional disturbance.

Some of the most common emotional disturbances are as follows:

• Anxiety Disorders- an excessive, persistent, and overwhelming irrational fear that affects everyday functioning. Types of anxiety disorders include generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), panic disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, and specific phobias.
• Depression- a common but serious mood disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of interest in activities causing significant impairment in everyday life. It affects thinking, feelings, sleeping, eating, and everyday functioning.
• Bipolar Disorder- a serious medical condition that causes dramatic mood swings from overly “high” and/or irritable, to sad and hopeless, and back again. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood.
• Psychotic Disorders- An umbrella term used to refer to severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations, such as in schizophrenia and delusional disorder.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): “Mental illnesses are not the result of personal weakness, lack of character, or poor upbringing. Mental illnesses are treatable. Most people diagnosed with a serious mental illness can experience relief from their symptoms by actively participating in an individual treatment plan.”

For more information on mental health disorders:

• National Institute of Mental Health
• National Alliance on Mental Illness