Mental health plays a vital role in the development of a person, particularly among children, and the parents and elders should enlighten youngsters on mental problems, according to psychiatrists.
Many children are suffering with health problems in schools and colleges due to poor mental health and education, they said and stressed the need for establishing counselling centres with qualified counselling psychologists.
The doctors participated in an interactive session ‘Child psychology – remedies’ organised by the A.P. Counselling Psychologists’ Association, Forum for Child Rights, and Childline in the city on Saturday in connection with World Mental Health Day, which falls on Monday.
Psychologists and child psychiatrists explained to the participants child care, mental health, protection, sanitation and awareness for good personality development.
Representatives of various NGOs involved in child care, counsellors and care-takers took part in the workshop.
Different topics
They spoke on ‘Child personality development’, ‘Behavioural problems in children’, ‘Child depression problems’ and ‘Physical and mental problems in girls’.
Child Welfare Committee member and Navajeevan Bala Bhavan executive director S. Balashowry chaired the programme. A.P. Counselling Psychologists’ Association president T.S. Rao, Childline Coordinator A. Ramesh and others participated.
Child psychiatrist Indla Vishal Reddy said the theme of World Mental Health Day 2016 is ‘Psychological first aid’ and explained the psychological problems being faced by children. Dr. Reddy also gave tips on remedies to the problems.
Suicides
“Students suffering with severe mental stress, family and financial problems and ill treatment in educational institutions are resorting to suicides,” said Dr. T.S. Rao and appealed to the government to set up counselling centres to prevent children suicides.
“Many children are addicted to drugs and other sedatives due to poor conditions they grow up, negligence by parents, bad friendships and broken families. But, parents should identify the problems among children, provide counselling and guide them properly,” said Dr. Parvathaneni Krishna Mohan.
Psychologists T. Madhavi and Lalitha Chandra underlined the need for providing mental health education and physical health care among girl children. Parents and the elders in the families should take care in enlightening the girls in all aspects.
Psychologists K. Srinivas, Ravi Bhargava and G. Shankara Rao were among the participants.
