Perez Hilton's Kids Were Aware of His Mental Health Issues Before Alarming Live Stream

Perez Hilton's kids were already aware of his mental health struggles before his disturbing live stream meltdown ... TMZ has learned.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Perez's three kids are old enough to understand his mental health challenges, which had been explained to them before last week's crisis.

We're told the children have been in the house during previous emotional moments when Perez went live on social media and opened up to his followers about his struggles.

So, while last week's incident was far more serious, seeing their father become emotional online was not entirely new to them.

The same goes for Perez's mom, Teresita Lavandeira, stepping in to care for the children. Our sources say Teresita has always lived with Perez and the kids ... and has been heavily involved in raising them.

While Teresita has now filed for temporary custody, we're told her continued role as their caretaker will provide the children with familiarity and consistency while Perez recovers. His sister has also been a constant presence in their lives.

As we reported, Perez signed a consent form supporting the temporary custody arrangement, which would allow Teresita to make medical and dental decisions for the children, obtain important records, and enroll them in school.

Teresita has asked the court to seal the case, arguing the children should not be subjected to any additional trauma connected to the incident.

Perez was hospitalized last week after physically harming himself during a live stream amid a mental health crisis at his Miami home. His kids, niece, and sister were there when he first began showing signs of distress, but quickly left after realizing he was unwell.

His family most recently said Perez remained hospitalized under Florida's Baker Act and needed surgery for injuries sustained during the crisis.