I’m a Child Psychiatrist: Here Are 5 Things I Do for My Kids’ Back-To-School Mental Health

Preparing kids for back-to-school season often means back-to-school shopping, crisp "new school year" haircuts and a return to a school-time routine.

For many parents, it also means learning some essential mental health tips to help manage any back-to-school stress and anxiety kids may experience.

Dr. Howard Y. Liu, M.D., an adult, child and adolescent psychiatrist and chair of psychiatry at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, is also a father of four school-aged children.

Liu, who also serves as chair of the American Psychiatric Association’s Council on Communications, says there are five easy mental health tips for back-to-school that he encourages all parents to learn and that he even uses himself.

"One model that I learned when I was in fellowship that I think really applies to parenting is: 'Never worry alone," Liu tells TODAY.com. "I think that's a great mantra for parents and for the entire household. Remember, not all kids — and especially not all teens — are going to go to their parents, but they're worried."

According to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study that examined mental health symptoms in four different U.S. school districts during 2014–2018, a reported 1 in 6 students had enough behavioral or emotional symptoms and impairment to be diagnosed with a childhood mental disorder.

A separate study released in February, 2023 found that teen girls are experiencing an increase in sadness, violence and suicidal ideation — a reported 75% of teen girls living in the U.S. felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021.

"Just make sure that (your child knows) that they don't need to worry alone, that you're there for them," Liu says. "That is one key piece."

Back-To-School Mental Health Tips

Spend Quality Time Together on a Regular Basis

Liu says spending one-on-one time with your child before or after school is a great way to foster essential conversations about their mental and emotional wellbeing.

"I am usually the morning person in my household, so I drop my kids off in the morning," the dad of four says. "I find that those five or 10 minutes during the commute is a good time just to check in with them."

One 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that "parental accompaniment is an important determinant of children’s wellbeing."

Talk About Bullying

According to the CDC, a reported one in five high school students report being bullied at school and more than one in six say they're bullied electronically.

"The interesting thing I have found as a child psychiatrist is that many kids don't talk about bullying unless you directly ask them: 'Have you experienced any bullying?'" Liu says. "So you do have to talk to them about it."

Liu suggests taking a proactive approach to discussing school verbal, physical and online bullying, as well as how to be a helpful bystander when they witness bullying taking place.

"Having those conversations proactively about some of the things they might see, what you want them to do, and  teaching them to be an ally for kids that are struggling a little bit is good," Liu adds.

Get Back Into a Reliable Routine Early

Liu says that while it's very tempting to let kids stay up late and sleep in during the summer, it's vital to start getting them on a solid routine — particularly a sleep routine — prior to the start of school.

"Trying to get back in the routine usually can't happen overnight," he says. "So at least three weeks before school starts, try to get back into that sleep routine."

According to a 2022 study published in the journal The Lancet, children who got an insufficient amount of sleep experienced more mental health and behavior challenges than their peers who received enough sleep. Less sleep was also found to be linked to "stress, depression, anxiety and aggressive behavior."