Shaken by the Ryan International School incident, parents have been trying to understand the mind of an adolescent and how best they can help their children grow as wholesome and mature adults. Samir Parikh, Director of Department of Mental Health and Behavioural Sciences at Fortis Healthcare and writer of ‘Let Him Not Sink’, a recently-released book for adults who work closely with children and adolescents, gives an insight into the adolescent mind
In light of the Ryan incident, what are the reasons you would attribute towards growing aggression, if any, in children and adolescents?
Aggression and violence are a reality of the world we live in today. There is undeniable evidence to prove that greater exposure children and adolescents have to aggression, the more likely they are to imbibe such behaviour into their ways of responding to situations. This exposure, be it in the form of observing others [children or adults], or aggression on television, in video games or the news, is critical in how children also respond to situations. More so, recognition that aggressive behaviour leads to desired results for the individual engaging in aggression or lack of immediate and timely consequences for the individual make it all the more likely for children not to understand the consequences of their act.
What are the major problems that adolescents face in terms of mental health?
Children and adolescents can have the same types of mental health-related problems like adults. Whether it is depression or anxiety or problems like schizophrenia and bipolar disorders, children and adolescents too can develop these in addition to problems typically found in the younger population, including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities.
What are the signs to be on the lookout for in adolescents that may indicate troubled mental health? What is the responsibility of society, school, parents and siblings after that?
Significant changes in a child or adolescent’s emotional state, way of thinking or way of responding to situations are typically the first indicators that signal something may be bothering the child or impacting his mental health. Besides this, we typically start seeing changes in the child’s performance, difficulty in being able to maintain academic and extra-curricular activities, and challenges in interpersonal relationships. There can be additional problems like changes in appetite and sleep pattern. These are big red flags, which parents or any adult working with a child as well as friends need to be aware of. The most important role that society or individuals who forms a part of one’s support system can play is being aware of the way problems manifest so that help seeking can be encouraged at the earliest.
The challenge with mental health problems is that they frequently remain unidentified in children and adolescents due to two primary reasons — their inability to express explicitly what may be happening and the belief that the young population cannot have mental health problems. Busting this myth is important. Simultaneously, working on a problem or a challenging behaviour the first time it manifests is critical. Having an attitude which does not communicate concern and understanding is going to be problematic and criticism or hostility towards an adolescent struggling with a problem will only make things worse. So creating an environment where dialogue and sharing of thoughts, feelings and experiences are encouraged is crucial.
When is medical intervention necessary?
A problem, when it fulfils the criteria of diagnosable mental health illness, will typically necessitate intervention using medications, which are given by psychiatrists. If you notice a problem which is not going away and is compromising the functioning of a child or adolescent, meet with an expert who can help you with the right treatment plan.
How do we explain the Ryan incident to adolescents who are watching and reading about it? How do we use this incident to talk about mental health problems?
The most important thing to do is talk about it. Believing that children or adolescents may be unaware is incorrect. The more we encourage conversation, the more likely we will be able to break faulty thoughts, attributions and glorification of what happened, which can be the likely outcomes when children or adolescents talk among themselves. Till we are able to fully decipher what actually happened, it helps not to blame someone. Instead, let us try and understand that there can be situations were individuals may act irrationally under stress and pressure, and in ways that are uncharacteristic of their typical ways of being and behaving. So this makes it important to speak about situations we find difficult to cope with.
If a support system does not exist within the house, speak with friends. If that does not help, reach out to teachers or counsellors or any other professional who can listen, understand and help with a challenging situation. It is imperative in this context to speak about how stress and pressure can compromise mental health and one’s ability to think effectively, and that it is not a sign of weakness to seek help and support from others.
Researchers claim that the brain is not fully developed in adolescents and there is tendency towards thrill seeking behaviour in them? Would you attribute the current growing aggression in them to that?
Thrill seeking, breaking boundaries and exploring the world in unconventional ways can be characteristic of the adolescent age. However, these aspects have been there for generations. The most important thing to remember is that everyone needs a space where they feel heard, understood and accepted. And when that is not available, they can act in ways that can be hurtful and harmful to themselves and others.
How is your book a ready reckoner for parents and people working closely with metal health patients?
Let Him Not Sink [by Dr. Parikh and Kamna Chhibber] is written with the idea to enable early identification of mental health problems. Numerous myths surround mental health illnesses and many consider them as a singular entity. Through this book, we are helping people recognise that various problems fall within the rubric of mental health illnesses, each with its own characteristic features and developmental trajectory, which points to a unique approach for all of them.
More importantly, we want to help adults who work with children to know that there are some things they can do to facilitate the process of recovery of a child or adolescent in case they have a problem. So in a step-wise manner and using easy to understand language, we have tried to provide adults with a framework they can utilise and implement while working with children and adolescents. This is not a substitute for experts but fills the lacunae in availability of professionals across the country to work on these problems, and the lack of knowledge and understanding among the general population about mental health problems.
