Taking care of your child’s mental health is as important as taking care of
their physical health. Just because mental health issues are not visible to
the eye- it does not make them non-existent. You, as a parent, can play a
significant role in improving your child’s mental health. Poor mental health can affect the way children think, act, and feel.
Statistics show that one in ten children and youngsters are affected by
mental health problems. These issues are inclusive of anxiety,
depression, conduct disorders, and impulse control disorders. More often than not,
these issues are developed as a response to their surrounding events.
Shockingly, 70% of children and teenagers who go through mental health
issues have not received any treatments for their problems. It is estimated
that 9.8 million Indians in the age range of 13-17 years are suffer from
severe mental health issues. Moreover, WHO reported that in 2012, 258,075
Indian students committed suicide. These figures show that the impact of
mental illnesses is far more than society can imagine, and the awareness
about the seriousness of these illnesses is not adequate.
Online Counselling & Therapy
Get help for anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues
Here are some things that can help children develop good mental health:
As science suggests, a healthy mind leads to a healthy body; a healthy body
similarly leads to a healthy mind. Therefore, ensuring your child gets
access to nutritional food, a balanced diet, and is physical activity can
help your child be mentally active.
If a child is given the freedom to make his/her own decisions, even for as
little as choosing their time to play, builds strong decision-making skills
and resilience to deal with any consequences they face due to their
decisions.
Giving your child authority to present their opinions helps them gain
confidence in their stand about their likes and dislikes. This also gives
them certainty that their parents support them with their thoughts.
Ensure enough admiration, validation, safety, and understanding is given to
the child and that they are aware of it. When providing
online counselling to the child with
these values, remember to deliver it how they want to receive it and not the
way you want to show them.
Engagement is vital; however, over-engagement can put you in a bad light as
it may seem that you are keeping tabs on the child and therefore questions
your trust.
Teach the child to ‘accept’ themselves just the way they are and show them
that their flaws do not matter to you as well.
Child behavior to look out for:
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Sleeping too much or too little
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Difficulty paying attention
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Trouble adjusting or being fixated in one place or position.
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Repeated actions with constant checking of things out of fear.
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Has recurrent stomach problems and headaches (with no known cause)
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Shows fewer interests in activities
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Afraid to go to school
Highly common mental health illnesses developed in children and adolescents
are
anxiety,
ADHD
or other behavioral disorders, impulse control disorders, mood disorders
such as depression and substance abuse. There is a 15-20% lifetime
prevalence of anxiety disorders in children. A wide range of anxiety disorders such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder,
Social Anxiety Disorder, Phobia, etc., share similar features of depressive
conditions and adversely affects a child’s academic performances, relations
with family, and enjoying hobbies.
How can you help your child if you think they may face any such
issues?
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The foremost thing is to openly communicate with your child and allow
them to share their thoughts and feelings with you without being
judged.
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Meet with your child’s tutor or supervisor to review their behavior
within classrooms and during playtimes
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Speak with your child’s paediatrician to discuss any unusual
behavior.
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Consider talking to a mental health therapist to help you and your child
in dealing with the ongoing difficulty.
A therapist will
conduct standardized assessments with your child and provide you with a
diagnosis that helps you move forward. Apart from the assessments, the
therapist may schedule interviews with the parents to understand the
dynamics of the family in a better way.
A Rehabilitation Psychologist focuses on treating individuals dealing with
disabilities, injuries, or chronic health issues. They help patients manage
emotional, cognitive, and behavioral challenges, promoting independence and
improved quality of life. If you're recovering from a life-altering condition
or injury, a
Rehabilitation Psychologist
can be a vital part of your healing journey.
HopeQure’s health services uses a HIPAA-compliant video conferencing
platform. If you ve chosen to pursue online counseling. Our therapists serve
both adults, adolescents, and elderly. You can access the services, programs
, and webinars at our site, regardless of where you live. To schedule a
online session for you or a loved one Click Here