Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day: Having failed his board exam, 14-year-old Ayush (name changed) suddenly stopped being himself and began avoiding his parents and other family members. Handling failure isn’t easy for anyone, but for teenage Ayush it was kind of life-ending. With each passing day, his personality disorder only worsened. But one day he plucked up the courage to meet Dr. Shukla, a renowned psychologist who lived in the neighborhood and who changed his life. Not all children can cope with this. Many of them sweep their mental health they struggle under the rug for fear of adverse reactions from their parents or teachers or for not having enough vocabulary to explain what is happening to them. (Also read: Foods to improve your child’s mental health in the midst of the pandemic)
Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day is celebrated every year on May 7 to raise awareness of the importance of children’s mental health.
Dr. Samir Parikh, Director of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences at Fortis Healthcare, in an interview with HT Digital, says that almost 10% of all children and adolescents, according to the WHO, experience a mental health disorder, but most of them do not seek help. help or receive. He says these struggles with mental health in the early years impact children’s psychosocial development, with effects on their studies, relationships, self-esteem and lifestyle, and the difficulties can often permeate into adulthood as well.
Dr. Parikh explains that there are many reasons children may not talk about their mental health issues with others, including fear of being misunderstood, judged, or mocked. Dr. Parikh says that children may also not have the awareness or emotional vocabulary to be able to fully express what they are experiencing. He says that many times, academic difficulties, conflicts with authority or even physical health problems can have an underlying mental health basis, which often goes undiagnosed and untreated.
In families, children sometimes don’t get an environment where they feel free to express themselves, so they may search online for information or support anonymously.
“As adults, it is important that we create an environment of openness and understanding with children. Creating a safe space where children are free to express themselves is key. Art and play can also be useful tools for children to express themselves in an less threatening way,” says Dr. Parikh.
Dr. Samir Parikh says that rather than just focusing on a child’s performance, paying close attention to their emotional well-being is also imperative.
“Encouraging social and emotional development through life skills education is the need of the hour. At the same time, mental health literacy needs to be introduced into classrooms from an early age. To reduce stigma and fear of judgement, we must be mindful of the vocabulary we use. Children must be taught to understand mental health in the same way as physical health. Above all, we must instill an openness toward seeking help, where asking for help is seen as a sign of strength.” says the renowned psychiatrist.
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