Caring for a child with a behavioral health condition can be challenging; a struggle to get your questions answered; and hard to find the right help for your child.

No matter what you and your family are facing, schizophrenia, autism, ADHD, oppositional defiant disorder, you’re not alone, we are here to help.
Through your plan you can talk to an Aetna Behavioral Health care manager who can provide you with access to quality care and services while coordinating needed benefits to help you address any behavioral or mental wellbeing challenges.

MHBP – to talk to an Aetna Behavioral Health case manager call 800-410-7778 and choose option 4.

To find a network behavioral health provider near you call 800-410-7778 or use our online Find a Provider tool.

Help and tools you need to take care of your child’s behavioral health condition:

988

If you or someone you know is in immediate distress or thinking about hurting themselves, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by simply dialing 988. You can also text the word “Hello” to 741741, the Crisis Text Line. 988 is now active across the United States. This new, shorter phone number makes it easier for people to remember and access mental health crisis services. Talk to someone now if you or a loved one needs help or are experiencing a crisis.

Difficult Conversations – Talking to kids about anxiety and depression. How to spot when your child needs help

Depression

It’s perfectly normal for kids to feel sad, down, or irritable for short periods. When these feelings linger for weeks, or months, it might be depression.

Talk to their doctor if they experience any of these symptoms for more than a few weeks.

  • Feeling sad, discouraged, or irritable
  • Constant negative thinking, looking for the worst in every situation
  • Focusing on problems and fault, being overly critical about others and themselves
  • Lack of energy, not sleeping well or sleeping too much, change in appetite
  • Loss of interest in activities, withdrawal from family and friends

Anxiety

Children will have different fears at different ages. But sometimes those fears cross the line into anxiety disorders. How do you know when your child’s fearfulness is age appropriate and when it’s time to get them some help?

Here are a few common symptoms of clinical anxiety:

  • Avoidance of specific activities, situations or people
  • A tendency to worry about what can go wrong in any scenario
  • Worries or fears that interfere with normal daily activities
  • Trouble sleeping or insisting on sleeping with parents
  • Physical symptoms like headaches or stomach pain that don’t stem from other medical conditions