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<p><strong>MENTAL HEALTH&nbsp;</strong><br>“My child is very moody.”<br>“My child doesn’t listen.”<br>“My child cries a lot.”&nbsp;<br>“My child doesn’t like to play with other children.”<br>“My child is so irritable.”<br>“My child cannot finish his schoolwork/homework on time.”&nbsp;<br>“My child’s grades are falling.”<br>“My child cannot concentrate.”&nbsp;<br>“My child is hyperactive.”&nbsp;<br>“I think my child is depressed.”</p>
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<p>Promoting mental health and emotional wellbeing is a core task for the overall development of a growing child.<br>It’s to be noted that all mental disorders are chronic diseases which begin in childhood.<br>Half of all the lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age of 14 yrs (early adolescence). Presently,&nbsp; there is under- detection of mental health issues in children, but there is a gradual increase of primary care doctors in India focussing on screening for mental health concerns, using appropriate tools. Screening for mental health disorder does not provide a diagnosis but provides a way to start a conversation and start appropriate measures for intervention.<br>There exists a stigma about a referral to a mental health professional such as&nbsp;Psychiatrist or Counsellor, especially in regards to the children. What parents need to understand is that early detection or prevention of mental health issues is a major goal in the transitional period of development from a child to an adult.</p>
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<p><strong>“BUILDING RESILIENCE” - CRUCIAL PROTECTIVE FACTORS&nbsp;</strong><br>Children with higher levels of the following factors are less likely to engage in risky health behaviours. Some of these Protective factors are :</p>
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<ul><li>A parenting style that is loving and supportive</li><li>High self - esteem&nbsp;</li><li>Coping skills, to cope with anxiety and stress</li><li>Positive relationships with peers</li><li>Healthy involvement in school activities</li><li>Healthy engagement with adults outside the home&nbsp;</li><li>Ability and opportunity to express and discuss their feelings</li><li>Parents who are coping well with life themselves are good role models.</li></ul>
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<p>These Protective factors enhance the Child's resilience to face adversity.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>A resilient child is one who is socially competent, confident, with problem-solving skills, and a sense of purpose and future.&nbsp;</p>
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<p><strong>&nbsp;SUBSTANCE ABUSE</strong><br>Most children at some point in their growing up years are faced with a situation where they have to decide whether to start experimenting with smoking, drinking alcohol, and even drugs.<br>We need to prepare the adolescent in advance, by educating them about substance use, before he/she comes across such a situation with peers. Early initiation of use leads to higher chances of addictions, due to the effect on the developing adolescent brain. Delaying the debut or initiation is one important protective factor. Alcohol and drug use has serious health concerns. Mistakes made due to impaired judgement under the influence of substance can have life-changing implications,&nbsp; such as the risk of motor vehicle accidents.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>Adolescents have an intense desire to belong to a peer group and be accepted by them. Prepare your adolescent how to say “No” when offered the first cigarette or alcoholic drink or drug by peers.<br>Parents need to remember that they are looked upon as role models and that adolescents may follow in their footsteps.</p>
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<p><strong>ADDICTION</strong><br>Addiction refers to repeated behaviours that result in distress and have a negative impact.<br>The two important characteristics of addiction are that the person is just unable to stop and There are withdrawal symptoms on stopping. Addiction is more serious than abuse.<br>Repeated drug use results in the repeated battering of nerve cells and neural pathways get severely affected. These lead to changes in behaviours,&nbsp; The changes can be seen in brain imagery.</p>
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<p>The toxicity and side effects of drugs lead to dramatic and significant loss of health.<br>The prefrontal cortex is important for our functioning to enhance activity that we need to reach goals and inhibit irrelevant activities involved in emotional regulation: the volume of the prefrontal cortex is reduced.<br>Drugs are detrimental - personally and financially.</p>
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<p>Deep within the brain is the limbic system. It is also known as the primitive brain. It contains the brain reward circuit or pathway.&nbsp;<br>A reward or something linked with reward activates cells in the midbrain. This sets off a chain reaction of activation in the reward circuit.<br>This activation quickly reaches the Nucleus Accumbens that is the brain's pleasure centre.<br>Dopamine is released as a result of this activation.&nbsp; The brain registers all pleasures by this mechanism, whether they originate with a psychoactive drug, a momentary reward, a sexual encounter or a satisfying meal.&nbsp; Addictive drugs flood the Nucleus Accumbens with dopamine. The limbic system structures create memory of the pleasurable experience. The faster and stronger the dopamine affects us, the more likely it is to misuse.&nbsp;<br>In normal circumstances rewards come with time and effort. Drugs provide a shortcut to the brain's reward system by flooding the brain with dopamine. This leads to addictions.</p>
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<p><strong> DEPRESSION </strong><br>Adolescents may have wide mood changes as a normal part of their development and it may be difficult to distinguish between a mental health disorder and essentially normal behaviour. <br>At least 5% of adolescents suffer from depression at any given time.<br>Having a parent with depression raises the risk significantly.<br>In adolescents, depression may present with varied symptoms besides sadness, anger irritability, boredom, inability to experience pleasure or difficulty with relationships or school.<br>High-risk sexual behaviour, drop-in academic grades, use of drugs and addiction has been found to have a significant correlation with depression.</p>
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<p><strong>ANXIETY</strong><br>Children may experience anxiety as a normal feeling. But if coping strategies don't work or there is impairment in functioning concerning school and relationships, they develop symptoms of anxiety that may mimic ADHD and depression.<br>Most adolescents have at least one episode of significant anxiety and a&nbsp; significant number of adolescents have anxiety issues.<br>Alcohol Misuse is also linked to anxiety disorders.<br>Anxiety can be a normal experience or can be overwhelming. Coping with anxiety is an essential life skill that can be taught.</p>
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