World Mental Health Day on 10th October: At which age are children vulnerable to mental health issues?

We spoke to Dr Vasanth R, consultant psychiatrist, Fortis Malhar, Chennai to know when do mental health conditions start to worry about kids. He tells us that with kids the formative years of their lives are also a time of tremendous stress and pressure.

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: October 10, 2018 7:32 pm

Children during adolescence are prone to depression. © Shutterstock

The theme of this year’s world mental health day is, “Young people and mental health in a changing world.” So it is apt a time when we get talking about children’s mental health both young children and adolescence. While we think that mental health conditions cannot unsettle kids there are various kinds of evidence that say that children are not immune to mental health conditions. In fact, there are more cases of children suffering from mental health condition emerging with every passing day. We spoke to Dr Vasanth R, consultant psychiatrist, Fortis Malhar, Chennai to know when do mental health conditions start to worry about kids. He tells us that with kids the formative years of their lives are also a time of tremendous stress and pressure. “A time when several hormonal and physical changes are happening, the mind is having too much to deal with and this takes a toll on them and could be a trigger for various issues related to mental health if the right kind of support and the emotional foundation is not laid,” he says.

While young children could also go through harrowing time dealing with all the changes happening around, adolescence is the time when they are most vulnerable to the consequences of mental health issues. “Mental illness or condition in children can manifest in various ways. The two most common ways in which it can manifest are – substance abuse and eating disorders. In fact, substance abuse in adolescence can trigger depression and suicidal tendencies. Substance abuse is one of the biggest triggers for suicide which is the third most common cause of preventable deaths in adult globally. Most of the cases of teenage depression and suicide can be linked to substance abuse. Apart from this, change in eating habits in adolescents is also a sign of debilitating mental health. Kids who experience a pervasive sadness all the time use eating as a coping mechanism. They eat or overeat high caloric or high-fat foods that give them comfort. This is why weight changes during adolescence should be taken seriously,” says Dr Vasanth.

Providing the child with the right kind of environment, love and warmth can help parents avert this situation.

Published : October 9, 2018 2:55 pm | Updated:October 10, 2018 7:32 pm

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