KOCHI: The mental health of Kerala’s students needs immediate attention, according to psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. Studies have shown that 15 percent of the children in the state suffer from mental problems owing to several reasons. These are just clinical cases, but roughly 30 percent of the children are victims of mental problems, said Dr C J John, chief psychiatrist, Medical Trust Hospital.The causes are many. Parents, teachers and society play a large role in the development of a child’s mental health. But, parenting is not up to the mark and the lack of awareness and training among parents, teachers and society are, to a large extent, the main cause for the pathetic state of affairs, he added.That children have a mind is often forgotten. Parents are hardly concerned about the quality time given to them. Though the majority of them have good intentions, the methods of rearing have to be changed. Parents should try to see the world through the child’s eye such that the child will share every personal and ordinary matters with them with ease. However, this is not the case today. Children turn to alternative parents who are out to trap them with expressions of false love. Another fact is the emergence of nuclear families where genuine alternative parents are absent to cater to children’s mental needs, he said.Dr John said the parents tend to impose their own mind on the children pressurising them to perform well academically and load them with material goods that are never a substitute for quality care. Most of the causes of the mental problems faced during adolescence and adulthood can well be traced to childhood, he said. Moreover parents, schools and society over focus on academics. Equal importance should be given to life skills which help them cope with life. Stress is laid on academics in Kerala such that even the syllabus of children are formed that way. Kindergarten students rush to school early in the morning and instead of learning through play, they learn alphabet and maths. Learning becomes stressful for children which causes many problems, even physical. Parents should identify the talents and guide the students accordingly, clinical psychologist Dr Prakash Chandran says.He added that there was a rise in the number of children coming to him with problems related to stress, sex abuse, substance abuse, depression, confusion during adolescence and other problems, especially over the past two years. He wanted the parents to look out for small behavioural changes. The treatment gap is wide owing to the lack of awareness and inability to understand the problem. Many parents, counsellors and teachers are not skilled enough to deal with problems. A few teachers, an active PTA and counsellor can help solve the problems to a great extent, the doctors said. Alcoholism is on the rise among teenagers which should be prevented. The Excise Department has initiated a few measures. But, a strong political will is needed to bring about big changes, Dr John said. Many schemes are launched but there is hardly any follow-up and the students are left to the mercy of the wrong system. Many resolutions will be taken for the World Mental Health Day but how many will materialise, they wondered. This year the theme is ‘The Great Push - Investing in Mental Health.’ A little bit of investment for their welfare will go a long way in helping the children. Parents should never look at children as an investment, they said.
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